Which stage comes after the preoperational stage in Piaget’s theory?

In Piaget's theory of cognitive development, the stage that follows the preoperational stage is the concrete operational stage. During this period, which typically occurs between the ages of 7 and 11 years, children begin to think more logically about concrete events. They become capable of performing operations that involve concrete objects and they start to understand the principles of conservation, which means they realize that quantity does not change even when its shape does. This marks a significant shift from the preoperational stage, where thinking is more intuitive and egocentric.

The concrete operational stage signifies that children can think systematically about concrete situations, making it easier for them to understand relationships between different objects and events. They can sort objects into categories and understand the concept of reversibility in relationships, which enhances their problem-solving abilities in tangible situations. This stage is crucial for developing logical thinking skills that will be built upon in the later formal operational stage, where abstract and hypothetical thinking starts to emerge.