OAE
OAE EARLY CHILDHOOD EDUCATION
EXAM QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS 2025
What are Piaget's stages of cognitive development? - Correct Ans-sensorimotor,
preoperational, concrete operational, formal operational
What was Piaget's theory? - Correct Ans-cognitive development
Piaget's sensorimotor stage - Correct Ans--birth to 2 years
-Learn through senses, motor activities, and feedback they receive through senses by
their bodies and environment
Give an example of an action that would occur in the sensorimotor stage - Correct Ans-
Kid sees objects, reaches for it, tries to grasp it
Kid kicks their leg, they see it move, they try to grab their leg
Kid learns to throw object from their crib that their parents will pick it back up
What are the first three substages of the sensorimotor stage? - Correct Ans-Birth- 1
month: comprehending the environment from inborn reflexes ex. sucking/looking
2nd substage: Primary Circular Reactions. 1-4 months: coordinate physical sensations
with schemas. ex. things to suck on/get pleasure
3rd substage: Secondary Circular Reactions @ 4-8 months the kids repeat rewarding
actions but they focus on effecting the environment rather than themselves. ex. sucks on
objects other than thumb
What are the last 3 substages of the sensorimotor stage? - Correct Ans-Coordination of
Reactions: 8-12 months. kids explore surroundings and imitate observed behavior.
object permanence. associate objects with their properties
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,OAE
Tertiary Circular Reactions: 12-18months. Trial and error ex. different sounds to get
parents attention
Early Representational Thought: 18-24 months. Children represent objects and events
with symbols and understand the world not just by actions but through mental
operations
What is object permanence? (Piaget) - Correct Ans-the understanding that objects
continue to exist even when they cannot be observed
What is the average age when children begin to understand object permanence? -
Correct Ans-8-9 months
What actions shows that children understand object permanence? - Correct Ans-
Searching for an object after it is hidden or enjoying hide and seek/peek a boo
What is a schema? - Correct Ans-a concept or framework that organizes and interprets
information
a mental construct of a category or class of things
ex. file folder of the mind
What is assimilation? - Correct Ans-interpreting our new experiences in terms of our
existing schemas
can fit new info in an old schema
What is accommodation? - Correct Ans-When new info cannot go into an old schema
you can modify the schema or create a new one
What does Piaget say about assimilation and accommodation? - Correct Ans-It is the
process of adaptation
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Give Piaget's examples of schemas - Correct Ans-Baby sees a man that looks like his
grandfather so he whispers hi granddaddy. He doesn't address this person as his gpa he
just noticed that they look the same because he has a gpa schema in his mind. He
assimilates or puts this man into this schema
Girl sees a dog and says moo, she says moo because she is trying to assimilate a dog into
her brown 4 legged animal schema which she has the sound moo for. If she was told this
animal say woof woof she would modify her dog schema or make a new one.
What is conservation? - Correct Ans-Understanding that objects keep their number or
amount even if the appearance or configuration is changed
At what age do children understand conservation? - Correct Ans-Age 5 according to
piaget
Piaget's Preoperational Stage - Correct Ans-Age 2-6
Cannot perform mental operations
Pretend play
use objects to represent other things
thinking is intuitive not logical
egocentric
Piaget's Concrete Operational Stage - Correct Ans-Age 6-7
Developing concrete operations
Thinking logically
Abstract thoughts are still hard
Can understand cause/effect
3|Page
, OAE
Can physically manipulate objects
Understands conservation
Understands reversibility
Define reversibility - Correct Ans-the understanding that both physical actions and
mental operations can be reversed
Why do older kids understand the conservation of what experiment? - Correct Ans-Logic
and reversibility
"i saw you pour the same amount of water into 2 different containers
What is animism and magical thinking? - Correct Ans-Animism is assigning human traits
to inanimate objects
ex. sun hates me so it burned me
Magical thinking is attributing cause and effect between a child's feeling and the world
of events around them
ex. kid said i hate you to a friend. the friend had a bad day so kid thinks it was their fault
According to an Austrian and German art scholar, what are the 6 stages of art
development? - Correct Ans-1. Scribble (2-4)
2. Preschematic (4-6) visual schema, no dimensions, size=importance
3. Schematic (7-9) Reflect actual proportions and colors
4. Dawning realism (9-11) Representational
5. Pseudorealistc (11-13) Ability to reason
6. Period of Decision (14+) Adolescent identity crisis
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OAE EARLY CHILDHOOD EDUCATION
EXAM QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS 2025
What are Piaget's stages of cognitive development? - Correct Ans-sensorimotor,
preoperational, concrete operational, formal operational
What was Piaget's theory? - Correct Ans-cognitive development
Piaget's sensorimotor stage - Correct Ans--birth to 2 years
-Learn through senses, motor activities, and feedback they receive through senses by
their bodies and environment
Give an example of an action that would occur in the sensorimotor stage - Correct Ans-
Kid sees objects, reaches for it, tries to grasp it
Kid kicks their leg, they see it move, they try to grab their leg
Kid learns to throw object from their crib that their parents will pick it back up
What are the first three substages of the sensorimotor stage? - Correct Ans-Birth- 1
month: comprehending the environment from inborn reflexes ex. sucking/looking
2nd substage: Primary Circular Reactions. 1-4 months: coordinate physical sensations
with schemas. ex. things to suck on/get pleasure
3rd substage: Secondary Circular Reactions @ 4-8 months the kids repeat rewarding
actions but they focus on effecting the environment rather than themselves. ex. sucks on
objects other than thumb
What are the last 3 substages of the sensorimotor stage? - Correct Ans-Coordination of
Reactions: 8-12 months. kids explore surroundings and imitate observed behavior.
object permanence. associate objects with their properties
1|Page
,OAE
Tertiary Circular Reactions: 12-18months. Trial and error ex. different sounds to get
parents attention
Early Representational Thought: 18-24 months. Children represent objects and events
with symbols and understand the world not just by actions but through mental
operations
What is object permanence? (Piaget) - Correct Ans-the understanding that objects
continue to exist even when they cannot be observed
What is the average age when children begin to understand object permanence? -
Correct Ans-8-9 months
What actions shows that children understand object permanence? - Correct Ans-
Searching for an object after it is hidden or enjoying hide and seek/peek a boo
What is a schema? - Correct Ans-a concept or framework that organizes and interprets
information
a mental construct of a category or class of things
ex. file folder of the mind
What is assimilation? - Correct Ans-interpreting our new experiences in terms of our
existing schemas
can fit new info in an old schema
What is accommodation? - Correct Ans-When new info cannot go into an old schema
you can modify the schema or create a new one
What does Piaget say about assimilation and accommodation? - Correct Ans-It is the
process of adaptation
2|Page
,OAE
Give Piaget's examples of schemas - Correct Ans-Baby sees a man that looks like his
grandfather so he whispers hi granddaddy. He doesn't address this person as his gpa he
just noticed that they look the same because he has a gpa schema in his mind. He
assimilates or puts this man into this schema
Girl sees a dog and says moo, she says moo because she is trying to assimilate a dog into
her brown 4 legged animal schema which she has the sound moo for. If she was told this
animal say woof woof she would modify her dog schema or make a new one.
What is conservation? - Correct Ans-Understanding that objects keep their number or
amount even if the appearance or configuration is changed
At what age do children understand conservation? - Correct Ans-Age 5 according to
piaget
Piaget's Preoperational Stage - Correct Ans-Age 2-6
Cannot perform mental operations
Pretend play
use objects to represent other things
thinking is intuitive not logical
egocentric
Piaget's Concrete Operational Stage - Correct Ans-Age 6-7
Developing concrete operations
Thinking logically
Abstract thoughts are still hard
Can understand cause/effect
3|Page
, OAE
Can physically manipulate objects
Understands conservation
Understands reversibility
Define reversibility - Correct Ans-the understanding that both physical actions and
mental operations can be reversed
Why do older kids understand the conservation of what experiment? - Correct Ans-Logic
and reversibility
"i saw you pour the same amount of water into 2 different containers
What is animism and magical thinking? - Correct Ans-Animism is assigning human traits
to inanimate objects
ex. sun hates me so it burned me
Magical thinking is attributing cause and effect between a child's feeling and the world
of events around them
ex. kid said i hate you to a friend. the friend had a bad day so kid thinks it was their fault
According to an Austrian and German art scholar, what are the 6 stages of art
development? - Correct Ans-1. Scribble (2-4)
2. Preschematic (4-6) visual schema, no dimensions, size=importance
3. Schematic (7-9) Reflect actual proportions and colors
4. Dawning realism (9-11) Representational
5. Pseudorealistc (11-13) Ability to reason
6. Period of Decision (14+) Adolescent identity crisis
4|Page
