How many stages are recognized in Piaget's Theory of Development?

Piaget's Theory of Development identifies four distinct stages that describe how children develop cognitive abilities as they grow. These stages are:

1. Sensorimotor Stage (birth to about 2 years): During this stage, infants learn about the world through their senses and actions. They develop object permanence and begin to understand that objects continue to exist even when they cannot be seen.

2. Preoperational Stage (approximately 2 to 7 years): In this stage, children begin to use language to explore their worlds but still lack the ability to perform operations mentally. They engage in symbolic play and can represent objects with words and images.

3. Concrete Operational Stage (around 7 to 11 years): At this point, children start to think logically about concrete events. They gain a better understanding of the concept of conservation—recognizing that quantity does not change even when its shape does.

4. Formal Operational Stage (approximately 12 years and up): In this final stage, individuals develop the ability to think abstractly and critically. They can plan systematically and think about hypothetical situations.

The acknowledgment of these four stages provides a framework for understanding how children's thinking evolves and becomes more sophisticated over time. Each stage is characterized