What distinguishes the preoperational stage from the concrete operational stage of development?

The preoperational stage and the concrete operational stage are two key phases in Jean Piaget's theory of cognitive development. During the preoperational stage, which typically occurs between ages 2 and 7, children begin to engage in symbolic play and learn to manipulate symbols, but their thinking is still intuitive and egocentric. They struggle with tasks that involve logical reasoning and are unable to perform operations mentally without using physical objects.

In contrast, the concrete operational stage, which occurs roughly between ages 7 and 11, is characterized by the development of logical thinking about concrete events. Children in this stage gain the ability to classify objects based on several characteristics, understand the concept of conservation (that quantities remain the same despite changes in shape), and organize information into logical categories. Their thinking becomes more structured and less centered on their own perspective.

The ability to classify objects by multiple characteristics signifies a key cognitive advancement that differentiates the concrete operational stage from the preoperational stage. This ability illustrates the child's newfound reasoning skills that rely on logical processes rather than just intuitive thought.