This document discusses the developmental outcome of children gaining the ability to group objects according to similarities and differences. It follows Piaget's theory that between ages 7-11, children can categorize objects based on concrete attributes. The document outlines typical development, variability factors, impacts of disabilities, and interventions to support atypical development. It provides examples and references theories of cognitive development.

1. Old Enough to
Discriminate
When Differences and Sameness
Matter
Toniea Harrison
SP D 6263/
E 6268

2. What is this developmental outcome?

Following Piagetian theory, children gain the ability to group
objects in a simple fashion, according to similarities and exclude
objects not fitting the group. 13
Click me!

3. What is this developmental outcome?

Following Piagetian theory, children gain the ability to group
objects according to similarities and exclude objects not fitting the
group
Look here!
11

4. What is this developmental outcome?
Concrete (“J the facts”) Grouping
ust
~ Ages 7 -11

During the concrete operational stage, logical reasoning
replaces the intuitive, child-centered (egocentric) thinking of
the preoperational stage.

Categorization is according to concrete details only (not
philosophical concepts like good or bad). 16

5. What is this developmental outcome?

Inductive reasoning is in action, pulling information from the
environment to build one's own understanding.

Children are able to see objectively, and, noticing facets of
objects, learn basic ways of grouping them together according
to discriminatory properties (e.g. red vs. blue, two legs vs. four
legs). 12

6. What is this developmental outcome?

Inductive reasoning allows for bottom-up grouping, noticing
individual traits among objects then grouping them according
to the commonalities. 12
17
9

7. What is this developmental outcome?

Elements of deductive reasoning appear, allowing for top-
down organization, viewing themes among objects and
determining specific items that will fit within that theme. 12
14 5
“A beak,
feathers...it must
go here!”

Through logical operations, most children can group objects
according to multiple criteria (3 at the most) by age nine. 10

8. H Does T H
ow his elp?

Developmentally, acquiring this ability allows a child to better
understand his or her environment.

Cognitively, discrimination of objects within the environment sets
the stage for organizing information that is more abstract in
nature.

The ability to separate a dog from a wolf or, eventually, good from
evil, is not only a cognitive exercise but a matter of safety or a factor
in determining one's social group. 2

9. Typical Developmental Trajectory:
Variability and Influences

The ability to discriminate is theorized to occur within a particular
period of development, though biological and situational influences
can cause this ability to arise sooner or later than predicted. 2

10. Typical Developmental Trajectory:
Variability and Influences

As cognition and environmental exposure are key facets to attaining
this achievement, quality of education and parental intellectual
background are relevant to its development. 2

As is the caregiver's tolerance for a child's exploration of his or her
surroundings. Societies premised on living reclusively would expose
their children to different or less varied experiences than groups
outside of this culture. 7

11. Typical Developmental Trajectory:
Variability and Influences
Though Piaget would classify simple discrimination as a trait of late
childhood-preadolescence (seven to 11 or 12 years old), the ability to
classify has been seen in preschoolers. 8
18

12. Typical Developmental Trajectory:
Variability and Influences

Though categorizing according to abstract rationales is not a skill
Piaget considers to be accessible prior to the Formal Operations stage
of thinking, age 12 and beyond, the capacity to do so can emerge in the
fourth grade. 1, 13

Even starting in second grade, children may group objects according to
symbolic meaning more so than by superficial data, such as shape and
color. 13

13. In the Atypically Developing Child...

It must be noted that skills of cognition, including language, and
perception are vital to discrimination. 15
− So, impairments in these and other areas will impact a child's
capacity to categorize.

For similar, even more foundational skills along Piaget's timeline of
cognitive development, youth with intellectual or physical disabilities
including blindness, and autism progress at a slower rate than children
without a disability. The case is the same for discrimination. 4

14. In the Atypically Developing Child...

Sensory impairments, such as Usher syndrome, can impact the
ability to take in information from one's surroundings.
− Interestingly, sensory impairments have been found to occur
more often in people with intellectual disability.

Psychiatric impairments can inhibit an accurate perspective of the
environment due to interference from mood, emotional and
behavioral dysregulation, or psychotic features. 6

15. In the Atypically Developing Child...

Youth with low intelligence and poor expressive or receptive language,
also likely associated with having a psychiatric disorder.

Visual and hearing impairments commonly occur among persons with
psychiatric disorders that distort perception of the environment. 6

Cerebral palsy, for example, is a disorder that can contain all of the
above impairments, being a cluster of disorders affecting movement and
posture, but also sensory input, perception, cognitive impairment,
communication, and behavior. 3

16. In the Atypically Developing Child:
Domains Involved and Affected
Why these impairments are so impactful: needed skills are affected.
Cognition Language

Selective attention to 
Learned vocabulary
details 15 for labeling

Executive functioning 
Language available
– organization, for “talking through”
planning grouping plans

Coherent internal
dialogue

17. In the Atypically Developing Child:
Domains Involved and Affected
Why these impairments are so impactful: needed skills are affected.
Gross Motor Fine Motor

Mobility for exploring 
Grasping, touching,
the environment manipulating objects for
close inspection and tactile

Reaching for objects
information (e.g. texture,
for the sake of
form, construction)
evaluation
Social Emotional

Comportment for reception of other's knowledge

Consulting with others for the sharing of ideas

18. Helping the Atypically Developing
Interventions at home and at school...
Child
Cognitive & Language
To enhance perceptual, organization and verbal skills

Repeated and regular instruction w/ naming and grouping exercises 4

Encourage visual attention

Reinforcement to encourage skills training

Hearing aids, glasses

19. Helping the Atypically Developing
Interventions at home and at school...
Child
Gross and Fine Motor Socioemotional
To facilitate motion and grasp For informed, experiential learning

Physical or occupational therapy 
Social skills group, play group

Orthotics, wheelchairs, walkers 
Behavioral therapy

Reachers 
Psychopharmaceuticals (for
attention, mood, regulation)

Rubbing objects on the face by
another party
19

20. Consider cross-application!
These tools are not cure-alls and can be
implemented for causes other than prescribed
(e.g. assisting the visually impaired with tactile
exploration, not just the motorically impaired).
B creative!
e

21. References
1. Abkarian, G. G. (1987). Object grouping in children: A revised look at the iconic-symbolic approach.
Journal of Psychoeducational Assessment, 5(2), 166-177.
2. Berk, L.E. (2008). Infants and children: Prenatal through middle childhood (6th ed.). Boston, MA:
Pearson Education, Inc.
3. Bottcher, L. (2010). Children with spastic cerebral palsy, their cognitive functioning, and social
participation: A review. Child Neuropsychology: A Journal on Normal and Abnormal Development
in
Childhood and Adolescence, 16(3), 209-228.
4. Bruce, S., & Muhammad, Z. (2009). The development of object permanence in children with
intellectual disability, physical disability, autism, and blindness. International Journal Of
Disability,
Development & Education, 56(3), 229-246.
5. Calderón-Franco, D. (2010). Red-legged-honeycreeper [Photograph]. Retrieved December 1, 2012
from http://www.colombiabirding.com/pacificchocolowlands.php
6. Carvill, S. (2001). Sensory impairments, intellectual disability and psychiatry. Journal of Intellectual
Disability Research, 45(6), 467-483.
7. Chikova, L. (2010, March 7). Ways of a reclusive people. The Herald. Retrieved from
http://www.herald.co.zw/
8. Denney, N.W. (1972). Free classification in preschool children. Child Development, 43(4), 1161-1170.
9. DiIorio Farms & Roadside Market. (2012). [Untitled photograph of a bushel of apples]. Retrieved
December 1, 2012 from http://www.diioriofarms.com/whats-in-season.html
10. Fogelman, K.R. (1970). Piagetian tests for the primary school. London: National Foundation for
Educational Research.
11. freetutorinfo. (2010, April 13). How can objects be sorted? K2 math education kids educational video
[Video file]. Retrieved from http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xfO1YIyh0o0&feature
=share&list=PLC4C229BBC94A50C0
12. Gyr, J.W., Brown, J.S., & Cafagna, A.C. (1967). Quasi-formal models of inductive behavior and their
relation to piaget's theory of cognitive stages. Psychological Review, 74(4), 272-289.

22. References
13. Mooney, C.G. (2000b). Chapter 5: Jean Piaget. In Theories of childhood: An introduction to Dewey,
Montessori, Erikson, Piaget & Vygotsky (pp. 59-80). St. Paul, MN: Redleaf Press.
14. Photo Screensavers. (n.d.). Birds photo screensaver 2.0 [Computerized image]. Retrieved
December 1, 2012 from
http://www.handyarchive.com/Desktop/Screensavers/76673-Birds-Photo-Screensaver.html
15. Riley, N. (1989). Piagetian cognitive functioning in students with learning disabilities. Journal Of
Learning Disabilities, 22(7), 444-451.
16. Santrock, J.W. (2005). Chapter 4: Cognitive development. In Adolescence (10th ed.) (pp. 104-143).
Boston, MA: McGraw-Hill Companies.
17. Specialty Produce. (2012). [Untitled photograph of a golden delicious apples]. Retrieved
December 1, 2012 from
http://www.specialtyproduce.com/produce/Golden_Delicious_Apples_120.php
18. Table 1: Frequencies of the different types of responses. Reprinted from “Free classification
in preschool children,” by N.W. Denney, 1972, Child Development, 43(4), 1164. Copyright
1972 by Nancy Wadsworth Denney.
19. The New Professional Series [Photograph]. (2006). Retrieved December 1, 2012 from
http://www.prweb.com/releases/2006/06/prweb389125.htm
T end
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