The Concrete Operational Stage

The Concrete Operational Stage, occurring roughly between ages 7 and 11, is a phase where children develop logical thinking about concrete objects and events. They understand concepts like conservation (knowing volume remains the same despite shape changes), classifications, and reversibility. However, their thinking is still tied to tangible experiences and they find it difficult to handle abstract or hypothetical ideas. This stage marks significant progress in reasoning skills, enabling children to solve problems more systematically and understand others' perspectives, but their thinking remains grounded in concrete, real-world experiences.