Oklahoma State Assessment Test (OSAT) Early Childhood Education Practice Test

In which stage do children begin to understand conservation—understanding that quantity remains the same despite changes in shape?

1. Formal Operations Stage

2. Concrete Operations Stage

3. Sensorimotor Stage

4. Pre-operational Stage

The correct answer is: Concrete Operations Stage

The Concrete Operations Stage is the correct choice because it is during this developmental period, typically occurring between the ages of 7 and 11, that children begin to grasp the concept of conservation. Conservation refers to the understanding that certain properties of objects, such as volume, mass, and number, remain constant even when their forms or appearances change. Children in this stage demonstrate logical thinking and can manipulate physical objects to test and understand these concepts. For example, if a child sees a clay ball flattened into a pancake shape, they will recognize that the amount of clay remains the same despite the change in shape. This understanding marks a significant cognitive advancement from earlier stages, where children may not recognize that quantity is invariant to changes in shape or arrangement. Other stages listed do not encompass this level of cognitive development. The Formal Operations Stage involves more abstract thinking, while the Sensorimotor Stage focuses on sensory experiences and motor activities, and the Pre-operational Stage is characterized by magical thinking and egocentrism, where conservation has not yet been mastered.