Riojas' Root System · Cognitive Architecture
Learning Statements by level
The developmental progression — newly introduced statements only, not cumulative. Each of the 160 statements appears exactly once across the 16 levels, ages 2–18.
8cognitive verbs
5cognitive zones
4DOK levels
160root statements
How the progression is built
Three dimensions. One living system.
01
Verb
cognitive action
Recognize · Remember · Understand · Apply · Analyze · Evaluate · Synthesize · Transfer
02
Cognitive Zone
level of abstraction
Physical · Representational · Abstract · Metacognitive · Tacit
03
Depth of Knowledge
content complexity
Facts · Concepts · Procedures · Strategies
✦ Statements are listed at the level where they are first developmentally appropriate — the list is not cumulative. A statement missing from an earlier level is diagnostic: it marks where growth may have been interrupted.
Early Childhood — Sensory Beginnings
Early Childhood Sensory Beginnings
Level 00aAges 2–48 newly introduced
recognizeSee something as it truly is6
physicalfacts concepts procedures strategies
representationalfacts concepts
rememberCommunicate what you know2
physicalfacts concepts
Early Childhood — Symbols & Retelling
Early Childhood Symbols & Retelling
Level 00bAges 3–58 newly introduced
recognizeSee something as it truly is3
representationalprocedures strategies
abstractfacts
rememberCommunicate what you know3
physicalprocedures strategies
representationalfacts
understandExpress the meaning of what you remember2
physicalfacts concepts
Early Childhood — Symbolic Thought Takes Hold
Early Childhood Symbolic Thought Takes Hold
Level 00cAges 4–68 newly introduced
recognizeSee something as it truly is3
abstractconcepts procedures strategies
rememberCommunicate what you know3
representationalconcepts procedures strategies
understandExpress the meaning of what you remember2
physicalprocedures strategies
Early School Age — Beginning
Early School Age Beginning
KindergartenAges 5–68 newly introduced
recognizeSee something as it truly is2
metacognitivefacts concepts
rememberCommunicate what you know2
abstractfacts concepts
understandExpress the meaning of what you remember2
representationalfacts concepts
applyUse what is understood in a new situation2
physicalfacts concepts
School Age — Building Foundation
School Age Building Foundation
Grade 1Ages 6–712 newly introduced
recognizeSee something as it truly is2
metacognitiveprocedures strategies
rememberCommunicate what you know3
abstractprocedures strategies
metacognitivefacts
understandExpress the meaning of what you remember3
representationalprocedures strategies
abstractfacts
applyUse what is understood in a new situation3
physicalprocedures strategies
representationalfacts
analyzeBreak it into parts and relate them1
physicalfacts
School Age — Solidifying Concrete Operations
School Age Solidifying Concrete Operations
Grade 2Ages 7–812 newly introduced
recognizeSee something as it truly is3
tacitfacts concepts procedures
rememberCommunicate what you know2
metacognitiveconcepts procedures
understandExpress the meaning of what you remember2
abstractconcepts procedures
applyUse what is understood in a new situation2
representationalconcepts procedures
analyzeBreak it into parts and relate them3
physicalconcepts procedures strategies
School Age — Evaluation Begins
School Age Evaluation Begins
Grade 3Ages 8–912 newly introduced
recognizeSee something as it truly is1
tacitstrategies
rememberCommunicate what you know2
metacognitivestrategies
tacitfacts
understandExpress the meaning of what you remember2
abstractstrategies
metacognitivefacts
applyUse what is understood in a new situation3
representationalstrategies
abstractfacts concepts
analyzeBreak it into parts and relate them2
representationalfacts concepts
evaluateCompare against something else and explain2
physicalfacts concepts
School Age — Procedures & Strategies Maturing
School Age Procedures & Strategies Maturing
Grade 4Ages 9–1012 newly introduced
rememberCommunicate what you know3
tacitconcepts procedures strategies
understandExpress the meaning of what you remember3
metacognitiveconcepts procedures strategies
applyUse what is understood in a new situation2
abstractprocedures strategies
analyzeBreak it into parts and relate them2
representationalprocedures strategies
evaluateCompare against something else and explain2
physicalprocedures strategies
Transition to Abstract Thinking — Synthesis Begins
Transition to Abstract Thinking Synthesis Begins
Grade 5Ages 10–1112 newly introduced
understandExpress the meaning of what you remember2
tacitfacts concepts
applyUse what is understood in a new situation2
metacognitivefacts concepts
analyzeBreak it into parts and relate them2
abstractfacts concepts
evaluateCompare against something else and explain3
representationalfacts concepts procedures
synthesizeMake something that was not there before3
physicalfacts concepts procedures
Early Adolescence — Transfer Begins
Early Adolescence Transfer Begins
Grade 6Ages 11–1212 newly introduced
understandExpress the meaning of what you remember2
tacitprocedures strategies
applyUse what is understood in a new situation2
metacognitiveprocedures strategies
analyzeBreak it into parts and relate them3
abstractprocedures strategies
metacognitivefacts
evaluateCompare against something else and explain2
representationalstrategies
abstractfacts
synthesizeMake something that was not there before2
physicalstrategies
representationalfacts
transferUse what is known in a new context1
physicalfacts
Early Adolescence — Formal Operations Reliable
Early Adolescence Formal Operations Reliable
Grade 7Ages 12–1312 newly introduced
applyUse what is understood in a new situation3
tacitfacts concepts procedures
analyzeBreak it into parts and relate them2
metacognitiveconcepts procedures
evaluateCompare against something else and explain2
abstractconcepts procedures
synthesizeMake something that was not there before2
representationalconcepts procedures
transferUse what is known in a new context3
physicalconcepts procedures strategies
Mid Adolescence — Transfer Reaches Representation
Mid Adolescence Transfer Reaches Representation
Grade 8Ages 13–1412 newly introduced
applyUse what is understood in a new situation1
tacitstrategies
analyzeBreak it into parts and relate them3
metacognitivestrategies
tacitfacts concepts
evaluateCompare against something else and explain3
abstractstrategies
metacognitivefacts concepts
synthesizeMake something that was not there before3
representationalstrategies
abstractfacts concepts
transferUse what is known in a new context2
representationalfacts concepts
Mid-to-Late Adolescence — Transfer Reaches the Abstract
Mid-to-Late Adolescence Transfer Reaches the Abstract
Grade 9Ages 14–1512 newly introduced
analyzeBreak it into parts and relate them2
tacitprocedures strategies
evaluateCompare against something else and explain3
metacognitiveprocedures strategies
tacitfacts
synthesizeMake something that was not there before3
abstractprocedures strategies
metacognitivefacts
transferUse what is known in a new context4
representationalprocedures strategies
abstractfacts concepts
Late Adolescence — Judging Instinct
Late Adolescence Judging Instinct
Grade 10Ages 15–168 newly introduced
evaluateCompare against something else and explain3
tacitconcepts procedures strategies
synthesizeMake something that was not there before3
metacognitiveconcepts procedures strategies
transferUse what is known in a new context2
abstractprocedures strategies
Late Adolescence — Synthesis Turns Inward
Late Adolescence Synthesis Turns Inward
Grade 11Ages 16–178 newly introduced
synthesizeMake something that was not there before4
tacitfacts concepts procedures strategies
transferUse what is known in a new context4
metacognitivefacts concepts procedures strategies
Late Adolescence — Full Integration
Late Adolescence Full Integration
Grade 12Ages 17–184 newly introduced
transferUse what is known in a new context4
tacitfacts concepts procedures strategies
Using the progression
Reading the gaps as diagnostic data
Because the list is not cumulative, an absent earlier-level statement is information. The teacher becomes an observer of development — no external test required.
Missing earlier-level statements
Development may have stalled there. Address that gap before advancing.
Cannot analyze
Abstract thinking has not fully developed. Revisit the analysis foundations (Grades 1–9).
Weak on evaluate
Metacognitive / abstract evaluation capacity is delayed. Target evaluation work (Grades 3–10).
Cannot transfer
Integration and application to new contexts is missing. Build transfer foundations (Grades 6–12).
The full sequence
One hundred sixty statements. Introduced once. Ages 2–18.
Eight verbs × five cognitive zones × four DOK levels — sequenced to the known trajectory of cognitive development (Piaget · Erikson) so every statement enters exactly where it first becomes appropriate.
roots → growth → canopy