Final answer:
The constructive approach in cognitive development, based on theories like those of Jean Piaget, suggests that children actively construct their understanding of math and science through interaction with the environment.
Step-by-step explanation:
Constructivist theories like those proposed by Jean Piaget argue that children build (or construct) their cognitive abilities as they interact with the environment. Piaget's theory particularly emphasizes that children go through stages of development, where they form and refine schemata -- mental models to categorize and interpret information.
This model encourages an understanding that children, even from a young age, are forming generalizations and concepts that reflect logical and mathematical thinking.
Instead of adopting a passive role in learning, children actively organize the information they encounter by assimilating new experiences into existing schemata or accommodating their schemata in light of new information.
Furthermore, Piaget postulated that during the concrete operational stage, children begin to think logically about concrete events and can perform mathematical operations, such as understanding that the mass, volume, or number remains constant despite changes in the shape of containers -- a concept known as conservation.
Modern research, however, suggests children's cognitive abilities, such as understanding the properties of objects and the awareness of others' points of view (theory of mind), develop earlier than Piaget believed.
Educational strategies derived from constructivist theories therefore focus less on rote learning and more on fostering a deep understanding of concepts through experience and problem-solving.