What is the first stage in Piaget's Theory of Cognitive Development?

Piaget's Theory of Cognitive Development outlines specific stages through which children progress as they grow and develop cognitive abilities. The first stage, known as the Sensorimotor Stage, occurs from birth to approximately 2 years of age. During this stage, infants learn about the world primarily through their senses and physical interactions. They engage in actions such as grasping, sucking, and looking, which helps them understand and explore their environment.

Key characteristics of the Sensorimotor Stage include the development of object permanence—the understanding that objects continue to exist even when they cannot be seen—and the building of cognitive schemas based on experiences. This stage lays the foundation for later cognitive development as children begin to form mental representations of the world around them. Understanding this initial stage is crucial as it highlights the transitions to subsequent stages, such as the Preoperational, Concrete Operational, and Formal Operations stages, each characterized by increasingly complex ways of thinking.