What is Piaget's first stage of cognitive development?

Piaget's first stage of cognitive development is the sensorimotor stage, which occurs from birth to approximately two years of age. During this stage, infants and toddlers learn about the world primarily through their senses and motor activities. They explore their environment through touch, sight, sound, taste, and movement, gradually developing motor skills and the ability to coordinate their actions.

Key milestones in this stage include the development of object permanence, which is the understanding that objects continue to exist even when they cannot be seen. This realization marks a significant cognitive leap for young children, as it demonstrates an ability to form mental representations of objects. The sensorimotor stage lays the foundation for further cognitive development, as children begin to understand the world around them in increasingly complex ways as they progress to the subsequent stages.

The other stages, such as preoperational and concrete operational, occur later in Piaget's theory of cognitive development, focusing on symbolic thought and logical reasoning, respectively.