Piaget's second stage of cognitive development is the preoperational stage, which occurs from ages 2 to 7. During this stage, children begin to use symbols to represent objects and events and engage in symbolic play. They can also think about objects that are not physically present. However, children in the preoperational stage are still egocentric and cannot see things from another's perspective. Their thinking is also illogical, as they lack concepts such as conservation, reversibility, multiple classification, and logical reasoning.

1. Jean PiagetJennifer FunkSecond Stage:Preoperational Stage

2. Piaget’s Second Stage:Preoperational2 – 7 years oldPreschool & Early Elementary Stage

3. Symbolic Thinking Give labels to objects in everyday lifeDevelop schemes for recognizing new objectsExample: Cat and Dog

4. Semiotic FunctionThe ability to use symbols – language, pictures, signs, or gestures – to present actions or objects mentally (or) the ability to think about objects not present

5. Symbolic PlayChildren assimilate a concrete object with a scheme which already exists for a familiar objectEx. Pretending

6. EgocentrismChildren are not able to see other perspectives other than their ownCollective Monologue – form of speech in which children in a group talk but do not really interact or communicate

7. Illogical ThinkingLack of conservation – inability to realize when objects change in form they do not necessarily change in amountIrreversibility – inability to realize that certain processes can be undone or reversedSingle Classification – inability to understand that one object can be classified in more than one wayTransductive reasoning – seeing similarities between two or more concrete objects or events when there is actually no relationship

8. Activity: The 3 Mountain Problem

9. Thank you!