At what age is a child expected to grasp the concept of conservation of numbers?

The concept of conservation of numbers, which refers to the understanding that the quantity of a set remains the same despite changes in its arrangement or appearance, typically develops around the age of 7. This is part of Piaget’s theory of cognitive development, specifically in the concrete operational stage, which occurs between the ages of 7 and 11. Children in this stage begin to think logically about concrete events and can understand that transformations do not change the amount or number.

While younger children, around 5 years, may struggle with this concept and might think that changing the arrangement of objects (like spreading out a row of coins) changes the quantity, the ability to recognize that the number remains constant as they manipulate objects generally solidifies around age 7. Therefore, the correct answer regarding when a child is expected to grasp the concept of conservation of numbers is actually at age 7 and not at age 5.