When we discuss cognition in children under the age of three, we are looking at a child’s ability to remember games and routines, play appropriately with toys, problem solve, and identify basic concepts such as colors, shapes, and environmental objects.
It is difficult to incorporate cognitive interventions in day to day routines, and children under the age of three are rarely willing to sit and attend for too long. As children get older, we gradually aim to increase time attending to objects in the environment, and attention to details in daily routines such as mealtime, clean-up, bath time and bedtime.
How should children this young interact with books or pictures? At what age does a child learn to play peek-a-boo? When should children start to understand colors in their environment? Can children learn these skills from TV or a computer?
A developmental specialist at TEIS can assist in incorporating these skills into appropriate play based routines. Using interaction to build these skills is a key factor in increasing the child’s interest and ability to remember routines from day to day. These basic cognitive skills will pave the way to better understanding of academic concepts as they approach school age.