Ace the Ontario Early Childhood Educator Exam 2026 – Play, Learn, and Pass with Flying Colors!

Centration is a cognitive process primarily associated with the preoperational stage of development, as introduced by psychologist Jean Piaget. In this stage, children often demonstrate a tendency to focus on one aspect of a situation while neglecting others. This means that they may struggle to see things from multiple perspectives or to recognize that a whole can have different parts that are equally important.

By leading to the inability to focus on multiple aspects, centration can significantly impact a child's reasoning and understanding of the world around them. For example, when presented with two identical amounts of liquid in different containers, a child may fixate on the height of the liquid in one container without considering the width or shape of the other. This limitation can affect their ability to solve problems, understand conservation, and recognize relationships between different elements in their environment.

Understanding centration is crucial for educators and caregivers as it helps them create appropriate learning experiences that accommodate this developmental stage. Activities and materials that encourage children to consider multiple aspects of a situation can help mitigate the effects of centration and promote further cognitive development.