Final answer:
Jean Piaget's cognitive perspective centers on the notion that children are active participants in their own development and that their behavior develops through stages. They build mental models called schemata and adapt these through assimilation and accommodation.
Step-by-step explanation:
The two major points of Jean Piaget's cognitive perspective are that people are active in their environment and that behavior develops. Throughout his research, Piaget emphasized that children actively construct their own cognitive worlds; they are not passive recipients of information. His cognitive development theory suggests that children go through a series of developmental stages: sensorimotor, preoperational, concrete operational, and formal operational. These stages showcase a qualitative change in thinking as a child progresses. Piaget's work highlighted the process of schemata development, wherein children build and adapt their understanding of the world through the processes of assimilation and accommodation. Assimilation involves integrating new information into existing frameworks, whereas accommodation refers to modifying existing schemata in light of new information. This cognitively active role facilitates the dynamic and evolving nature of children's development.