Page 103 - Meeting with Children Book

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a 1 year old, but for the 2 year old, the goal remains in mind
until she is satisfied (or is stopped by a caregiver).

Play offers a vehicle for children to explore alternative ways
to be in the world. Singer (1993) notes preschoolers enter
the symbolic play phase and through this play, increase
their understanding of construction of narrative, cause-
and-effect thinking and perspective taking. The
development of play in children increases the exploration
of reality as children move from egocentric and magical
thinking to a more logical and reality-based view of the
world.

Piaget (1896-1980) was a researcher who was interested in
understanding the development of understanding. His
theory has been widely influential and studied over time.
Piaget's stages are defined sequentially and qualitatively
and therefore it is important to consider the point that the
age of the child is less important than the conceptual
milestones and their sequences when looking at cognitive
development. For those doing actual formal assessments
the issues that get in the way of identifying capacities of
various aged children are more often related to the child's
motivation, attention, compliance, language and/ or
expression of anxiety (Garber, 2010). When Meeting With
Children, it is important to consider these factors before
saying a child does or does not demonstrate a particular
cognitive ability or skill.

If you are meeting with a child within the age band of 1.5-4
years, Piaget (1983) would note that the child is in either
the Sensorimotor Period (0-2 years) or Pre-Operational
Stage of cognitive development (2-7 years) years. During
the Sensorimotor Period, the child experiences the world
through direct sensation and use of the five senses through
motor contact. Infants learn through spontaneous
discovery of how her body works. It is the beginning of self-