Which sequence correctly lists Piaget's stages from earliest to latest?

Which sequence correctly lists Piaget's stages from earliest to latest?

• A. Sensorimotor, Preoperational, Concrete Operational, Formal Operational
• B. Preoperational, Sensorimotor, Formal, Concrete Operational
• C. Sensorimotor, Concrete Operational, Preoperational, Formal Operational
• D. Concrete Operational, Sensorimotor, Preoperational, Formal

Answer: (A)

The sequence is organized by the developmental progression of children’s thinking. The earliest stage is sensorimotor, roughly from birth to age two, where learning happens through concrete actions and sensory experiences and object permanence begins to appear. The next stage is preoperational, about ages two to seven, when language and symbolic thought develop, but thinking is still egocentric and lacks logical operations. After that comes concrete operational, roughly ages seven to eleven, where children begin to use logical thinking on concrete objects, understand conservation, and grasp reversibility. The final stage is formal operational, starting around adolescence, marked by abstract and hypothetical-deductive reasoning and more sophisticated problem-solving. This order—sensorimotor, then preoperational, then concrete operational, then formal operational—reflects the typical sequence from earliest to latest development. Other sequences would rearrange these stages in ways that contradict how children actually grow and think.

The sequence is organized by the developmental progression of children’s thinking. The earliest stage is sensorimotor, roughly from birth to age two, where learning happens through concrete actions and sensory experiences and object permanence begins to appear. The next stage is preoperational, about ages two to seven, when language and symbolic thought develop, but thinking is still egocentric and lacks logical operations. After that comes concrete operational, roughly ages seven to eleven, where children begin to use logical thinking on concrete objects, understand conservation, and grasp reversibility. The final stage is formal operational, starting around adolescence, marked by abstract and hypothetical-deductive reasoning and more sophisticated problem-solving. This order—sensorimotor, then preoperational, then concrete operational, then formal operational—reflects the typical sequence from earliest to latest development. Other sequences would rearrange these stages in ways that contradict how children actually grow and think.