Summarize the sensorimotor stage (birth to two years) definition below
Infants can be seen exploring the world through sensory observation, says Dr. Ajayi. Dr. Dimitriu adds they are egocentric, or unable to see the world from any perspective other than their own. “As the name implies, children learn through their senses and learn to use motor functions to manipulate the world around them,” he says.
As infants become more mobile, they build on their interactions with the spatial, visual and tactile worlds, says Dr. Ajayi. “An infant will advance from shaking a rattle to shaking other toys or using the rattle in new, innovative ways,” he says.
The goal of the sensorimotor stage is for a child to develop object permanence, or the realization that objects exist independent of their interactions with them, says Dr. Ajayi. For example, a child starts to recognize that when a ball is dropped in front of them, it’s actually on the ground rather than no longer in existence simply because it’s out of sight.
“Symbolization occurs when infants are able to visualize an object of interest mentally regardless of its physical location,” says Dr. Ajayi. Once they develop object permanence, children transition to the next stage of development.