NBPTS Exceptional Needs Specialist Practice Exam 2025 - Free Practice Questions and Study Guide

The preoperational stage is characterized by children's emerging ability to think symbolically. During this stage, which spans roughly from ages 2 to 7, children begin to engage in creative play and use symbols, such as words and images, to represent objects and ideas. This symbolic thought enables children to engage in language development and imaginative play, reflecting their growing cognitive abilities.

In this stage, children do not yet understand concrete logic and are egocentric in their thinking, which means they have difficulty understanding perspectives other than their own. Their play often involves role-playing and storytelling, showcasing their ability to use symbols to convey meaning.

Other developmental stages noted in the options focus on different cognitive abilities or moral development. The concrete operational stage involves more logical reasoning and the ability to perform operations on concrete objects but does not primarily focus on symbolic representation. The formal operational stage, which follows, includes abstract thinking and hypothetical reasoning. Kohlberg's stages relate specifically to moral development rather than cognitive development stages, which is why it does not apply in this context.