Supporting your child with their cognitive development

As a parent, you play a crucial role in fostering your child’s cognitive development. This can be defined as an individual’s ability to reason and think. Cognitive skills mainly surround learning, thinking, problem-solving, and memory, all of which are essential for their overall growth. 

By taking part in activities that stimulate their mind and encourage curiosity, and actively supporting your child, you can help your little one reach their cognitive milestones. Continue reading for some advice from this independent school in West Sussex, on supporting your child with their cognitive development. 

Encourage playful learning

Play is a very powerful tool used for cognitive growth, which is why trained professionals encourage little ones to play consistently. Encourage your child to engage in different activities that spark their imagination and curiosity.Experimenting with artistic materials, taking part in pretend play, solving puzzles, and building blocks, all contribute to cognitive development. As your child explores and develops their critical thinking and problem-solving skills, be sure to ask them questions to encourage them to think creatively as well.

Read together

Once again, this may feel like an activity that doesn’t seem very effective, however, works very well to boost cognitive development. Regular reading sessions provide ample exposure to new vocabulary and help to improve their language skills and expand on knowledge. As you read together, don't forget to ask questions about the story and characters along the way. This alone will help enhance their compassion skills and encourages them to think critically about the content. To make things interesting, allow your child to take the lead in choosing books, as this will nurture their interests and curiosity.

Limit screen time

Whilst technology can definitely be beneficial, excessive amounts of it can hinder cognitive development. Ensure that the amount of time your child spends in front of screens is limited, and encourage a healthy balance between both digital and hands-on experiences.

Supporting your child’s cognitive development is a rewarding journey.

 Remember that each child is unique, so be sure to tailor the experiences to their needs.