Which statement best illustrates cumulative learning in cognitive development?

• A. You must learn to walk before you can run
• B. You can run without walking
• C. Walking is unrelated to running
• D. You can learn to run by jumping

Answer: (A)

Cumulative learning in cognitive development means new skills build on what has already been learned, creating a step-by-step progression. In motor development, mastering walking provides essential foundations—balance, leg strength, coordination, and proprioception—that are necessary for running. Without those prior abilities, running would be difficult or inefficient, so this example best shows how earlier skills support later, more complex ones.

The other statements imply skipping prerequisites, treating unrelated skills as independent, or suggesting you can leap directly to a more advanced ability without the necessary groundwork, which doesn’t reflect how learning naturally accumulates.