Why intellectual development is important

Sometimes children fail to hit age-appropriate cognitive skill milestones. If you're concerned about your child's cognitive development, however, don't ignore the warning signs or your gut instincts.

Speak to your child's teacher or pediatrician about your concerns. They may decide to evaluate your child for learning disabilities if they agree with you that your child's cognitive development appears to be delayed. Many children with learning disabilities go on to pursue higher education and lead fulfilling and productive lives. So, getting such youth the right help when they're still small can make all the difference. Get diet and wellness tips to help your kids stay healthy and happy.

US National Library of Medicine. Developmental milestones record. Updated March Genetic influences on brain developmental trajectories on neuroimaging studies: from infancy to young adulthood. Brain Imaging Behav. National Academies Press. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Use the Exploring Cognitive Development activity to reflect on cognitive development. Take a few minutes to read and respond to the questions. Then, share and discuss your responses with a trainer, coach, or administrator.

Reflect on your learning, teaching, and understanding of cognitive development. Each of us has different opinions and ideas about what and how children learn best. Sometimes our opinions and beliefs are based on facts but sometimes they are not. To best serve all children, it is important to recognize myth from fact. Use the Myths about Learning guide and label each of the statements as myth or fact. Then, write a brief response explaining your answer.

Share them with a trainer, coach, or administrator. Then compare your answers to the suggested responses. To best serve all children, it is important to know the foundational stages of cognitive development through which all children progress. Print the guide to use as a tool in your classroom. Chick, N. Dodge, D. The Creative Curriculum for Preschool. Teaching Strategies, Inc. Copple, C. National Association for the Education of Young Children.

Galinsky, E. Mind in the Making: The seven essential life skills every child needs. Gestwicki, C. Developmentally Appropriate Practice: Curriculum and development in early education 6th ed. Cengage Learning, Inc. Mooney, C. Redleaf Press. The Center for The Developing Child. Secondary tabs Objectives :. Define cognitive development. Describe what cognitive development looks like during preschool. Professionals Form. Services are free! Regardless of: Income Immigration Status.

What Is Cognitive Development Children grow and develop rapidly in their first five years across the four main areas of development. All services are free regardless of income level or immigration status.

Locate services for pregnant and parenting families with young children. You can also call to refer a Minnesota child. There is a strong connection between the development a child undergoes early in life and the level of success that the child will experience later in life.

For example, infants who are better at distinguishing the building blocks of speech at 6 months are better at other more complex language skills at 2 and 3 years of age and better at acquiring the skills for learning to read at 4 and 5 years of age.

When young children are provided an environment rich in language and literacy interactions and full of opportunities to listen to and use language constantly, they can begin to acquire the essential building blocks for learning how to read. A child who enters school without these skills runs a significant risk of starting behind and staying behind.