According to Piaget, during the first stage of development (from birth to 2 years of age) a child learns best

Question

Accepted Answer

The correct option is 1:

Jean Piaget's theory of cognitive development outlines four stages, with the first being the Sensorimotor Stage, spanning from birth to approximately two years of age. During this critical stage, infants learn and explore the world almost entirely through their sensory experiences and motor activities. They interact with their environment by seeing, hearing, tasting, touching, grasping, and manipulating objects. This sensory input and corresponding motor action (e.g., reaching for a toy, putting objects in their mouth) is the primary mechanism through which they develop schemas and acquire fundamental knowledge, such as object permanence. Therefore, a child learns best "By using senses" in this foundational stage.

The incorrect option is 2:
"By thinking in an abstract way" is characteristic of Piaget’s final stage, the Formal Operational Stage (ages 12 and up). Infants in the sensorimotor stage are not yet capable of abstract thought, which involves hypothetical reasoning and thinking about ideas not physically present.

The incorrect option is 3:
While language acquisition begins during the first two years, "By comprehending new words" is not the primary way a child learns best, according to Piaget's definition of this stage. The core learning mechanism is sensori-motor interaction, with language development being a secondary cognitive achievement built upon these primary explorations.

The incorrect option is 4:
"By concrete thinking" refers to the Concrete Operational Stage (approximately ages 7 to 11). Thinking in a concrete way involves logical thought about physical objects and events, which is significantly more advanced than the reflex-based, purely sensory learning that defines the birth-to-two age range.