Supporting Cognitive Development

Introduction to cognitive development 

Attention, memory, problem-solving, executive processes, idea creation, and symbolic thinking are all aspects of cognitive development in infancy and toddlerhood (Garvis et al., 2019; Petty, 2016). This stage is particularly sensitive to environmental enrichment and responsive interactions because to rapid brain growth (90% of adult size by age 3) (Harding, 2023; Sharma et al., 2021). 

Key teacher competencies 

  • Recognising and analysing early cognitive cues 
  • Offering recurring, diverse sensory experiences 
  • Extending attention and memory through verbal mapping and contingent responsiveness 
  • Providing progressively more intricate open-ended materials (Kaywork, 2020; Dean et al., 2019) 

Genuine Curriculum Connections 

Every subject area is supported by cognitive processes: 

  • Cause-and-effect science 
  • Mathematics (seriation, categorisation) 
  • Technologies (use of tools) 
  • Arts (symbolism and representation) 

Three original learning experiences 

AGE  TITLE & DESCRIPTION  LINK TO THEORY & EYLF 
0-12 MONTHS  Sensory treasure basket  Heuristic play; sensorimotor stage- EYLF 4.1, 4.4 
12-24 MONTHS  Posting and retrieval box with varied shapes  Object permanence, problem-solving- EYLF- 4.2, 4.3 
2-3 YEARS  “What rolls?” ramp investigations  Classification, prediction, hypothesis testing- EYLF 4.1, 4.4 

RESOURCES 

PICTURE BOOKS 

SONGS 

RHYMES/LULLABIES 

MOVEMENT GAME 

Scroll to Top