If you’ve not stumbled upon the term before, cognitive development concerns how children think, reason, explore and problem solve. From the moment that they are born, you can train their way of thinking which can help set them up for success at school. You can do this by exposing them to new objects and creating quality interactions. Research suggests that those who can distinguish between sounds at 6 months of age have an easier time developing the skills needed for reading at 4 and 5 years old. If you would like to learn about how you can help your child with their cognitive development, we have shared a set of top tips below from a girls’ school in London.
Talk to Your Baby
Although they are tiny and can’t talk back to you, your baby is learning about the world around them and talking to them can help. You can start by naming things that you see around you, everyday objects like their milk bottle, blanket, nappies etc. This will help them develop their language and communication skills.
Identifying Noises
This brings us nicely to identifying different noises. Hearing is one of the five senses and can tell children a lot about what’s happening around them and the everyday objects that are near them. Sounds are distinctly different, like the sound of running water, birds chirping and cars beeping which can help them identify where they are.
Unstructured Play
If you’re not familiar with unstructured play, it’s play without any sort of structure. It gives children control and the opportunity to explore the world around them and their ideas. They will also likely come across problems during play which require their cognitive abilities and offer good practice.
Puzzles and Books
Similarly, you can present puzzle toys like post-it toys and jigsaw puzzles that get them to actively exercise problem solving. Books are also great, and they build a child’s understanding of the world around them. There are also a large variety of them to choose from for varying ages and stages of development.
