Piaget’s Stages of Cognitive Development - Sensory-Motor Period

Topics

Introduction
Substages of Sensory-Motor Period
Key Points: Sensory-Motor Period

CISCE: Class 12

Introduction

The sensory-motor period is the first stage in Piaget’s theory of cognitive development. It happens from birth till about 2 years. Babies learn by using their senses (like seeing and touching) and movements (like grasping and crawling), without using language or symbols.

CISCE: Class 12

Substages of Sensory-Motor Period

Substage	Age Range	What Happens	Example
Reflexes	0–1 month	Simple actions with no thinking.	Sucking, grasping.
Primary Circular Reactions	1–4 months	Baby repeats actions for their own joy.	Thumb sucking, waving hand.
Secondary Circular Reactions	4–8 months	Baby repeats actions to see effects.	Shaking a toy for sound.
Coordination of Reactions	8–12 months	Combines actions to solve problems.	Moves blanket for toy.
Tertiary Circular Reactions	12–18 months	Try new ways to do things (experiments).	Drops toy in new ways.
Representational Thought	18–24 months	Start imagining and using objects in play.	Pretends the banana is a phone.

CISCE: Class 12

Key Points: Sensory-Motor Period

The sensory-motor stage (0–2 years) is when babies learn through senses and movements, not language.
In the Reflex stage (0–1 month), babies respond with basic actions like sucking and grasping.
From 1–8 months, they repeat actions for fun or effects (e.g., thumb sucking, shaking toys).
Between 8–18 months, they begin to solve simple problems and try new actions (e.g., moving objects, experimenting).
By 18–24 months, babies begin to imagine and pretend, showing early signs of thinking with symbols.