Questão 1118561

Text 1A7-II

The word “development” is used all the time when speaking about early childhood education and health. We talk about developmental stages, social development, sensory development, skills development, developmental impairment, normal development and a host of other topics, but we don’t often take the time to define the basis for what we are referring to in these cases. The question a lot of people may ask is what cognitive development is in early childhood.

Cognitive development in early childhood refers to a set of intellectual abilities that researchers consider to be “normal” for an infant, toddler, preschooler or kindergartener. In other words, it is the quantification, or systematization, of how much a child should be able to do or understand by a certain age. These abilities can manifest physically or mentally, but physical developmental milestones – as well as social, emotional or language milestones – are often looked at as separate categories of development. They are interrelated, though, since brain function basically affects everything else.

But how is “normal” defined when it comes to cognitive development in children? Cognitive developmental stages are not arbitrarily set. Rather, they are based on long-standing theories posed by educational experts who have observed several children at different ages. With that said, researchers acknowledge that the lines around what is “normal” can be fuzzy. They can be based on culture, too. So, most parents shouldn’t be worried if their child is a few months late with crawling or talking, for example. We certainly know when something is not “normal”, and adults who are able to recognize cognitive impairments can help a young child get the assistance they need to catch up with peers of their age.

When there are disruptions in cognitive development, special education may be needed. We do not give up and assume that “it is the way it is”. There are usually reasons behind the issues causing a child to learn or develop slower than is typical for their age. It could be genetic, or it could be environmental, or event-based. The problem may not be permanent, and even if it is, intervention may help reduce symptoms a lot.

The other thing to know is that cognitive development can be encouraged and improved through early childhood education techniques. This can happen at home with parents, or at a daycare or preschool with specially-trained early childhood educators. Sometimes, kids can appear to just be playing, but in fact they are developing their cognitive abilities. The more we direct them to the right kinds of play, the more we can enhance this development. Knowledge builds up on knowledge!

Internet: <www.rainforestlearningcentre.ca> (adapted).

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