Schemas are the basic building block in which a child acquires and develops intelligence
as well as knowledge. With age and more exposure and experience in the world, the schemas
continue to grow. With the use of schemas a child is able to explain what they perceive around,
as it is their state of cognitive balance (Piaget, and Cook, 1952). .
There are many schemas that help children in learning. They are graphical representation
of the data structure. In his work, he states as a child grows, his or her schema tends to became
more elaborate and numerous. According to Piaget, the newborns babies have smaller schemas
as compared to older babies as with age the schemas grow. There is the neonatal schema which
is the cognitive structures underlying innate reflexes which are programmed in the human body
(Piaget, and Cook, 1952).
Piaget emphasized the importance of schemas in cognitive development and described
how they were developed or acquired. A schema can be defined as a set of linked mental
representations of the world, which we use both to understand and to respond to situations.
Reference
Piaget, J. and Cook, M., 1952. The origins of intelligence in children (Vol. 8, No. 5, p. 18). New York:
International Universities Press.
