Jean Piaget and the Changing Shape of Thinking
Does a tall, narrow glass hold more water than a short, wide one? It might look that way, even when both contain exactly the same amount. A question like this helped researchers explore how children think.
Jean Piaget, a Swiss researcher, was born on August 9, 1896, in Neuchâtel, Switzerland. He became known for studying how children develop knowledge. Rather than treating children’s mistakes as random, Piaget paid attention to the reasons behind their answers. He proposed that children’s ways of thinking change as they grow and gain experience.
Imagine an adult researcher sitting with a child at a table. Two matching glasses hold equal amounts of water. After the child sees that the levels are the same, the researcher pours the water from one glass into a taller, narrower container. Nothing is added or taken away. The water rises higher in the narrow container, but the amount stays the same.
The researcher might ask whether the containers still hold equal amounts. Some children say the taller container has more because the water reaches higher. Others say the amounts are still equal because they saw the water being poured. The question gives the researcher a chance to ask why the child chose that answer.
- researchers:
- People who study a subject carefully to learn more about it.
- random:
- Happening without a clear pattern or reason.
- investigate:
- To study or examine something carefully.
- mentally:
- In your mind, rather than through an action you can see.
- reconsider:
- To think about something again, possibly in a new way.
- influenced:
- Affected how something developed or how people thought about it.
- contributions:
- Ideas or work that help others or add to what is known.
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Preview questions from this passageShowHide
- 1What is the main idea of the passage, and which example helps explain it?
- 2Why did Piaget pay attention to the reasons behind children's answers?
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About this explanatory article passage for Upper Elementary
“Jean Piaget and the Changing Shape of Thinking” is a explanatory article reading passage about Child development, written for Upper Elementary. It takes about 3 minutes to read (474 words) and comes with an interactive quiz and a printable worksheet with comprehension questions and an answer key.