ABSTRACT
As the introduction and other chapters in this volume make clear, representation has many guises. We focus on one in particular—symbolic representation—and its role in reasoning. The invention of symbols played a vital role in the evolutionary development of mankind, and symbols play a vital role in the ontogenetic development of children. Every human culture has a variety of symbols and symbol systems that support cognition and communication. Children must master a set of culturally important symbols to participate fully in their society. They begin to do so very early, and our interest is in the advent and early course of this crucial domain of development.
