At what age do children typically start to understand the concept of conservation in Piaget's theory?

In Piaget's theory of cognitive development, the concept of conservation refers to the understanding that certain properties of objects, such as volume or number, remain the same even when their forms or appearances change. Children typically begin to grasp this concept during the Concrete Operational Stage, which occurs around ages 7 to 11.

At this developmental stage, children start to think logically about concrete events, and they can perform operations that transform the physical world in ways that do not alter underlying properties. For example, when presented with two identical glasses of water and then seeing one glass poured into a taller, thinner glass, a child in the Concrete Operational Stage can understand that the amount of water remains the same despite the difference in shape. This understanding marks a significant cognitive advancement from the earlier Preoperational Stage, where children are unable to grasp such transformations and may think that taller containers hold more liquid.

The correct understanding of the conservation concept is fundamental in progressing through Piaget’s stages because it indicates a shift from egocentric thinking to a more logical and coherent way of processing the physical environment.