Cognitive Skills

Children’s brains develop as they have new experiences. You cannot see the brain developing, but you can see what new things the child can do.

Cognitive skill development in children involves the progressive building of learning skills, such as attention, memory and thinking. These crucial skills enable children to process information and eventually learn to evaluate, analyze, remember, make comparisons and understand cause and effect. Although some cognitive skill development is related to a child’s genetic makeup, most cognitive skills are learned. This means that thinking and learning skills can be improved with practice and the right training.

Your child’s cognitive skills development will make huge advances in the first six years. During this time, you will find your child beginning to make connections and understand the relationship between the objects and people around him. As he continues to make huge advances physically and mentally, his abilities should likewise grow.

Involve yourself as a parent in your child’s early cognitive skills development. This gives your child an early advantage. A recommended approach is to involve your child in his own learning. His early participation determines his success in later life.

Some of the changes in our children are not so easy to spot, particularly cognitive changes. Children’s brains develop as they have new experiences. You cannot see the brain developing, but you can see what new things the child can do.

As you watch your toddler at play, you will notice him concentrating on everything he does. Every toy, game and activity is a learning experience for him. At this age, children can start drawing conclusions and making associations in order to find solutions to different problems at hand. Imitation is a big part of the learning process at this age. Instead of randomly handling household items, as he did in the first year, he will start using them in the right context -use a brush on his hair, babble into the phone and turn the steering wheel of a toy car. Activities that can help in your 1 year old’s Cognitive skill development:

• Tap beats on a toy drum or surface as you count each tap. Your baby should begin to imitate the rhythm with time.
• Talk about everything around you as you point and name different objects or parts of his body. Hold his finger and help him point to his nose as you say “this is your nose”
• Age-appropriate puzzles, matching games, sorting games and block play engage toddlers and preschoolers in activity that requires them to think about a problem and find a solution
• Help your child clap to the beat of a song when asked to do so. For example, sing “if you’re happy and you know it clap your hands