Welcome back! What a way to start a new year it has been! I have been extremely busy and had to extend the break from my blog, but I’m finally back with renewed energy and the same eagerness to learn and share new things.
This week, I want to revisit a test that Piaget conducted many years ago. This experiment involved young children and the concept of conservation. It is a very interesting test, as it shows that young children don’t develop the skill or capacity for conservation until they reach a certain age.
I want to write about this today because I had an interesting conversation with my colleagues about a task the children in our Reception Year had to complete this week. It was a math activity in which children predicted which container would hold the most water. The containers had different sizes and shapes, and most children always chose the tallest container, regardless of its width. This reminded me of the experiment conducted by Jean Piaget.
Jean Piaget, the famous Swiss psychologist, conducted these conservation tasks during the mid-20th century. His research demonstrated that children typically acquire the ability to understand conservation (recognising that the quantity of a substance remains the same despite changes in its shape or arrangement) around the age of seven.
For us, educators and psychologists, Piaget’s findings highlighted the importance of considering a child’s cognitive development stage when choosing or designing educational activities. Teachers should tailor their pedagogies and curriculum, keeping in mind that children might not grasp certain concepts until a specific age. This understanding helps in creating age-appropriate learning materials and activities; it should also determine how governments and educational institutions develop their curriculums, and it should inform teachers whether they’re trying to teach something within or beyond children’s grasp.
It’s fascinating to see Piaget’s findings’ relevance in today’s classrooms. For instance, the math activity with containers that I mentioned earlier aligns with the principles of Piaget’s conservation tasks. The tendency of children to choose the taller container over the wider one reflects a common developmental stage observed in Piaget’s experiments.
Educators play a crucial role in supporting children who have not yet developed the capacity for conservation. Adapting the curriculum or providing scaffolding through hands-on activities, visual aids, and interactive learning experiences can be particularly effective in helping children grasp the concept of conservation.
In conclusion, revisiting Piaget’s conservation tasks made me reflect on the cognitive development of children. Understanding the age at which children typically acquire certain cognitive abilities allows us, teachers, to better choose our teaching methods, creating a more inclusive and engaging learning environment.
Thank you for coming back to my blog, and I shall see you again at least twice a week. Take care!
Mr Sanchez Tutoring 