Ace the Arizona Educator Proficiency Test 2025 – Teach, Inspire, Succeed!

The Concrete Operational Stage is characterized by the development of logical thinking about concrete events. This stage occurs roughly between the ages of 7 and 11 years. Children begin to understand the concept of conservation, which is the realization that quantity does not change even when its shape does. They can perform operations mentally and manage tasks that involve the manipulation of concrete objects, such as sorting, classifying, and calculating. This stage shows a significant advancement from the previous Preoperational Stage, where thinking is still largely intuitive and egocentric, lacking the ability to perform logical operations.

Unlike the Formal Operational Stage, which develops later and involves abstract reasoning and hypothetical thinking, the Concrete Operational Stage is firmly rooted in tangible experiences and concrete knowledge. Thus, the ability to think logically about concrete events is a hallmark of this developmental stage, making this the correct answer.