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Children can begin to make logical manipulations of concrete—but not theoretical—objects, says Dr. Dimitriu. They begin to serialize, order and group things into classes based on common characteristics, and they begin to reason and follow rules and regulations with marked improvements in mood regulation, adds Dr. Ajayi. “Egocentric thought is further replaced by operational thought as children start to be able to see things from someone else’s perspective,” he says.
A healthy respect for rules develops in this stage as well, which involves knowing when rules have exceptions. Children of this age who do not gain this understanding are at increased risk of developing obsessive-compulsive behavior, as they can become overly invested in rules and regulations, says Dr. Ajayi.
Conversation is also a highly important concept gained in this stage, as well as the ability to recognize that although the shape of an object may change, it still contains the same amount of mass. Reversibility is also recognized, says Dr. Ajayi, as children learn objects can turn into something and then back again, such as ice and water.