In one elementary school curriculum, mathematical variables first appear in the sixth grade. Why are they not introduced in the fifth grade?
A)According to Piaget, preoperational children cannot reason with variables.
B)Children in the concrete operational stage cannot reason with hypothetical entities such as variable.
C)Children are incapable of conservation and reversibility until the beginning of the formal operational period.
D)Dealing with variables requires postconventional thought, which does not usually appear until adolescence.

Question

In one elementary school curriculum, mathematical variables first appear in the sixth grade. Why are they not introduced in the fifth grade? 
A)According to Piaget, preoperational children cannot reason with variables.
B)Children in the concrete operational stage cannot reason with hypothetical entities such as variable.
C)Children are incapable of conservation and reversibility until the beginning of the formal operational period.
D)Dealing with variables requires postconventional thought, which does not usually appear until adolescence.

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

According to Piaget's theory of cognitive development, children in the concrete operational stage (ages 7-11) can only reason with concrete objects and events, and not with hypothetical or abstract concepts like variables. Therefore, introducing mathematical variables in the fifth grade may not be developmentally appropriate for most students at that stage.

In One Elementary School Curriculum, Mathematical Variables First Appear in the Sixth