Piaget's preoperational stage occurs during which age range?

• A. Birth to 2
• B. Ages 2 to 7
• C. 7 to 11
• D. 11 and older

Answer: (B)

Piaget’s preoperational stage is the period when children begin to think symbolically and use language, but their thinking is not yet logical or capable of mental operations. This stage runs roughly from ages 2 to 7. Before this, in the sensorimotor period (birth to about 2), learning is through direct interaction with the world, and after this, in the concrete operational stage (about 7 to 11), children start thinking logically about concrete events and understand concepts like conservation. So, the age range that best fits the preoperational stage is approximately 2 to 7 years. During this time, children often show symbolic play and language growth, but they may be egocentric, centric, and have trouble with reversibility and perspective-taking.