Laying the Foundation with Cognitive Skills
Cognitive skills are a critical predictor of success in life. They’re the foundation for all higher-order thinking and reasoning, and they can help children become more successful academically, professionally, and personally. Many parents want to know how they can boost their child’s cognitive skills while raising them at home. Well, there are innumerable ways parents can do this. But here in this blog, we will be discussing the top five ways!
5 Stimulating Activities for Kids to Develop their Cognitive Skills!
1. Read to your child!
Reading to your child is a wonderful way to enhance their cognition. You can do this with any book that captures their interest. If they’re interested in the alphabet, then read them an ABC book! This is great because it introduces new words and concepts that they’ll probably need as they enter school – and continues building on the foundation you’ve already started.
2. Expand their vocabulary!
There are many ways you can do this with your child; one of the best is to expand their vocab through songs and rhymes. You can find lots of rhyming song ideas online or make up your own! Just find songs that have words they don’t know and sing along. You can also do it by just talking with them about what you see as you go about your day.
3. Play games
One of the best ways to increase cognitive skills is to expose children to new types of play and games. Makeup fun and silly games to play with them or let them lead you in their own imaginative worlds they create. Board games have been known to stimulate brain activity and provide hours of family fun!
4. Model smart behaviors
This may seem like it goes without saying, but your child is always watching what you do! If you want to boost their cognitive skills, make sure you are doing things that encourage curiosity, creativity, or logical thinking.
5. Limit television time, but watch smart shows together
Television and movies can be fun for parents and kids, but even a show that is considered “educational” doesn’t mean it’s going to help your child learn. Look at the TV shows or movies you watch as an opportunity to plant seeds of curiosity in your children.
How Cognitive Skills Help Children
1. Boosts grades in school
Children who have cognitive skills are often better able to focus and get along with their peers. These cognitive skills can translate into academic abilities (and good grades), leading all the way up through college.
2. Enrichment of knowledge
Cognitive skills, especially critical thinking, give kids a greater comprehension of many subjects in school, especially math. These cognitive skills are also good for self-confidence and can help your children feel encouraged to explore outside the classroom.
3. Creates better problem-solvers
Children with cognitive skills are more likely to become great problem solvers when they get older. Being able to think critically allows them to look at any problem that comes their way and devise a plan to overcome them. As adults, cognitive skills can allow your children to create solutions for nearly any problem they encounter in life.
4. Less likely to fall into peer pressure
Children with cognitive skills are less likely to fall prey to the bad influences of others. When society tries to influence them to try unhealthy practices, cognitive skills allow them to stand back and look at the consequences of such actions. Instead of succumbing to peer pressure, they are able to make decisions for themselves that can help them avoid negative situations.
5. Better decision-makers
Children with cognitive skills are better at making up their own minds about what is right and wrong. They are more aware of the consequences of their actions, so they are better equipped to make decisions in life that take these things into consideration.
6. Enjoys humor and funny people
Children with cognitive skills enjoy cognitive challenges as well as cognitive learning activities. Fun is a concept that goes beyond cognitive skills. Children with cognitive skills simply know how to have fun.
7. Better listeners and communicators
Children with cognitive skills are better able to relate their experiences to others in a way that enhances the experience for all involved. Because they are more able to understand language, they can communicate effectively in day-to-day life. They enjoy the company of others and are better able to listen and communicate what they are thinking.
8. Displays empathy
Cognitive skills enable children to understand their peers’ feelings better. It also allows them to put themselves in someone else’s shoes and think abstractly and solve problems creatively.
Conclusion
As parents, we want the best for our children. We always try to provide them with what they need in order to be successful and happy as adults. One of the most important things you can do is help your child develop cognitive skills that will lead them to better grades and a more fulfilling career later on down the road. These are just some of the ways you can support their learning at home without putting yourself out too much or spending way too much money! What have been some creative ways you’ve helped your kids learn? Let us know so we can share it with other readers!
