This stage marks the beginning of primitive mental reasoning, and is broken down into two substages called: The Symbolic Function Substage (Ages 2-4) and The Intuitive Thought Substage. The Symbolic Function Substage (4-7). During the symbolic function sub stage children are able to represent objects that are not present such as in a drawing or picture, they also begin to engage in pretend play. There are still two limitations during this stage called egocentrism and animism. Egocentrism describes a child’s inability to distinguish between one’s perspective and another. Animism is when children attribute life like qualities to inanimate objects. In the Intuitive Thought Substage children engaged in primitive reasoning, and begin to ask many questions. During preoperational thought children still have limitations which include a lack conservation and centration. Conservation is being aware that altering an objects appearance does not change its basic qualities and centration, gives them a one sided point of view. The third stage is Concrete Operations
This stage marks the beginning of primitive mental reasoning, and is broken down into two substages called: The Symbolic Function Substage (Ages 2-4) and The Intuitive Thought Substage. The Symbolic Function Substage (4-7). During the symbolic function sub stage children are able to represent objects that are not present such as in a drawing or picture, they also begin to engage in pretend play. There are still two limitations during this stage called egocentrism and animism. Egocentrism describes a child’s inability to distinguish between one’s perspective and another. Animism is when children attribute life like qualities to inanimate objects. In the Intuitive Thought Substage children engaged in primitive reasoning, and begin to ask many questions. During preoperational thought children still have limitations which include a lack conservation and centration. Conservation is being aware that altering an objects appearance does not change its basic qualities and centration, gives them a one sided point of view. The third stage is Concrete Operations