enactiveiconicsymbolic

enactiveiconicsymbolic is a term used to describe a three-stage model of cognitive development proposed by Jerome Bruner. This model outlines how children learn and represent the world around them through different modes of thought.

The first stage is enactive representation. This is characterized by learning through physical actions and experiences. A young child understands concepts like "ball" by playing with it, rolling it, and throwing it. Knowledge is embedded in motor responses.

The second stage is iconic representation. In this phase, children begin to use images or mental pictures to represent objects and ideas. They can recall the appearance of a ball and understand its properties without physically interacting with it. This stage involves visual thinking and the ability to form mental images.

The third and final stage is symbolic representation. This is the most abstract form of representation, where children learn to use language and other symbols, such as numbers, to represent concepts. A child can understand "ball" through the word itself, without needing to see an image or perform an action. This stage is crucial for the development of language, abstract thought, and higher-level reasoning. Bruner suggested that these stages are not necessarily sequential and that individuals may utilize different modes of representation simultaneously or in different contexts.