Approximate reading time: 4 minutes

Li Wei is a young boy who was born in China but emigrated to the Canadian prairies when he was a few months old. His family comprises his mother, father, and an older sister named Mei.

Stage 1 – Sensorimotor Stage:

In Li Wei’s early years, his interactions with the world were sensory- and motor-based. As an infant, he explored objects by mouthing, shaking, and banging them, learning through touch and sound. By the age of 8 months, Li Wei had developed object permanence; for example, when his favourite toy was hidden beneath a blanket, he would reach for it, indicating his understanding that the toy still existed despite being out of sight.

Stage 2 – Pre-operational Stage:

Around the age of 3, Li Wei entered the pre-operational stage. He began to engage in pretend play, taking on the role of a superhero, using a towel as a cape. His understanding of language and symbols grew, but his logic was still based on his own personal experiences rather than conventional knowledge. When Li Wei and his older sister, Mei, received the same amount of pizza, Li Wei insisted he had more pizza because his slice was divided into 4 pieces (i.e., quarters of a slice) instead of Mei’s two pieces (i.e., half a slice). This demonstrated his egocentric thinking and his lack of understanding of conservation.

Stage 3 – Concrete Operational Stage:

At the age of 8, Li Wei progressed to the concrete operational stage. He demonstrated an understanding of conservation when he corrected his younger cousin, who thought that a tall, thin glass of water held more water than a shorter, wider one. Li Wei patiently explained that the amount of water remained the same despite the change in shape of the glass. He also started to grasp mathematical transformations, like addition being the opposite of subtraction, indicating his cognitive growth in this stage.

Stage 4 – Formal Operational Stage:

By the age of 12, Li Wei had entered the formal operational stage. He began dealing with abstract ideas and hypothetical situations. For a science project, he conducted an experiment to determine if different colored lights affected the growth rate of plants. He hypothesized, tested, and drew conclusions based on his observations, showing his ability to think more flexibly and creatively.

Stage 5 – Beyond Formal Operational Thought:

As Li Wei became a teenager, he seemed to be progressing beyond the formal operational stage into what some theorists call postformal thought. At 15, he faced a challenging situation where his close friend began bullying a new student. Torn between loyalty and his values, he chose to confront his friend, integrating logic with emotional understanding of the bullied student’s distress. When his concerns were dismissed, he responsibly reported the situation to a teacher, reflecting his postformal thought ability to merge emotion, logic, and understanding of potential long-term consequences.