Interaction during operational tests: building products for child evaluation.

Abstract

The Jean Piaget’s theory classifies child development in stages, according to the cognitive structures established by age and prepares the system of child evaluation – operational tests, known and used in many occasions by occupational therapists. We’ll present relevant results of a critical-reflexive research aimed to analyze the variables during the application of operational conservation tests; seriation; classification and symbolic function in children in pre-operational, formal operational and concrete operational stages. The applied methodologies and materials used were intentionally modified in three stages for each test: traditional material and methodology; diversified material and active manipulation; and personalized material and active methodology. After three months of applications, image recording, completion of research instruments and analyses performed, the main results showed that the active manipulation and the relationship with the diversified materials contributed to answers of higher intellectual maturity of the child, in a considerable number of sessions.