There are several terms and concepts used by Jean Piaget to understand the cognitive development of children:

1. intelligence
Piaget defines intelligence more revealing biological orientation, explaining that intelligence as the ability to solve problems or produce products. intelligence here is seen not as a collection as a result and abilities, but rather meant as an organization for cognition system, through adjusting mentally to the new circumstances. Environmental, of cognitive, and biological organisms to form a of cognitive knowledge that is implemented on the achievements of each periodization of the stages of development. Piaget saw that intelligence with no strictly defined, it provides some common definitions reveal a more biological orientation (Suparno, 2001: 19). Intelligensi more seen as a framework that exist within the individual to interpret, organization and individuals. intelligence is a form of mental balance toward which all structures produce perceptions, habits and sensory mechanisms geared motors. intelligence like this much meaning, and contrary to the view intelligence flow behavior as a reaction ability of the treatment and transfer of knowledge through strengthening of stimulus-response and the situation created for the child's mental condition.

2. organization
Organizational system is a form of integrating structures into higher system, which allows the child to receive a more complex cognitive achievement. Piaget reveals that a child for psychological systems tend to integrate into a coherent system, namely a clear relationship and adjustments between existing of cognitive structures with new of cognitive structures by the principle of no retreat and as an increase in the achievement of that form of understanding. One example was originally the child understand that the red light on the road as a stop sign, then through the acquisition of new experiences shaped the understanding of thinking (in a different time) that not every red light stop, for example, when faced with a situation will turn left. At first the child does not have a complete understanding of both (red light and turn left), then the child can organize them into a of cognitive system with a higher structure. Organizing and running coherent adjustment makes what is digested through the action of sensory environments can produce what eventually accepted by the child's mind, and can not be separated from relationships that are logical, and to the intact into cognitive data structure (schema). New ideas as an additional information that ultimately reinforce the understanding of the world's environment.

3. scheme
The scheme is a mental structure in which a child is intellectually adapt to its environment (Suparno, 2001). Schemes evolve and change through adaptation to the environment, including the structure of concepts and categorization in children's minds. In accordance with the laws of adaptation will continue to evolve and patterned scheme that starts from early childhood to adulthood. Increasingly acquisition experiences gained by the children, the growing and complex schemes. The scheme is the appointment of individual knowledge stage in the event and the conditions that existed at that time.

4. assimilation
Assimilation is a data acquisition system for entry into the scheme and adapt to the of cognitive data that already exist. Piaget believes that the knowledge gained and changes in development time by entering new information to knowledge structures called schemes (Wortham, 2006: 36). Adjustment process (assimilation) is that then the child can make a structure-related of cognitive and provide appropriate understanding.

5. accommodation
Accommodation occurs when new information entering the scheme for the adjustment of the existing structure, accommodation occurs when new information not in accordance with the existing scheme, in these conditions the individual to do what is called an individual. Line with the assimilation of difference, that accommodation can occur in two important ways: (1) create a new scheme in accordance with new stimuli, (2) to modify the scheme so that it matches the new stimulus (Suparno, 2001: 23).

6. Equilibration
The process of equilibrium between assimilation and accommodation is required so-called Equilibration, which is a mechanical self-regulation skills (mechanical self-regulation), when not a proper balance between assimilation and accommodation, then there is the so-called disequilibrium, so equilibrasi-movement from disequilibrium to equilibrium. So when there is imbalance between the environment contained in the scheme with the outside environment, then the individual driven to make a balance between assimilation and accommodation, this process occurs continuously in the development of the individual.

7. adaptation
Each individual grows and develops with the tendency to always adapt (adjust) the individual's environment. sometimes individuals acquire knowledge by entering new information and adapt to the of cognitive data that already exist, sometimes individuals have to make modifications or changes in of cognitive data that exist in the scheme to fit the environment. The process is called adaptation, adaptation within the individual runs during the development phase, although not every individual has the similarities and the speed of adaptation.

8. Figurative Scheme and the Scheme Operative
Piaget divides into two kinds of schemes, namely schemes figurative and operative schemes, figurative scheme serves as a data storage-related cognitive structure drawing, while the operative scheme of knowledge relating to the operation of an object, such as a way of working objects, or numbers.

Reference:

Cory Cooper Hansen & Debby Zambo (2005) Piaget, Meet Lilly: Understanding Child Development through Picture Book Characters, Early Childhood Education Journal, Vol. 33, No. I, August 2005.

Piaget (1951) The child's conception of the world, USA: Humanities Press.

Puckett, M, B. & Black, J, K. (1996). The Young Child: Development From Prebirth Trought Age Eigh. USA: Merril Prentice Hall.

Suparno, Paul (2001) Teori Perkembangan Kognitif Jean Piaget, Jogjakarta: Kanisius.

Wortham, Sue, C. (2006). Early Childhood Curriculum: Developmental Based for Learning and Teaching. USA: Pearson Merril Prentice Hall.

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