Which stage in Piaget's theory comes after the preoperational stage?

In Piaget's theory of cognitive development, the stage that follows the preoperational stage is the concrete operational stage. This stage, typically occurring between the ages of 7 and 11, marks a significant shift in cognitive abilities. During the concrete operational stage, children begin to think logically about concrete events and understand the concept of conservation, which is the understanding that quantity does not change despite changes in shape or arrangement.

Children in this stage can perform operations mentally rather than physically and can classify objects into different sets. This indicates that the cognitive skills are developing further, allowing children to tackle more complex problems involving tangible and familiar situations, as opposed to the more egocentric and intuitive thought processes seen in the preoperational stage.

The other stages, such as the formal operational stage, occur later and involve abstract and hypothetical thinking, while the sensorimotor stage precedes the preoperational stage and focuses on the development of motor skills and sensory understanding. The transitional stage is not a recognized stage in Piaget's framework, thus reinforcing that the concrete operational stage is indeed the next step after preoperational.