Cognitive Learning

Banish boredom with brain teasers, memory games, and puzzles—they’ll help develop the concentration, memory retention, spatial skills, and critical thinking your child will use every day.1


Why Cognitive Learning is Important

Cognitive learning involves the mental processes of perception, attention, memory, reasoning, and comprehension.2 It helps kids acquire knowledge, skills, and problem-solving abilities that are necessary for their overall development.3 Starting from an early age, kids will develop their language and communication skills, later pairing these social cognitive skills learned through connection and socialization, such as empathy, emotional regulation, and communication, which are all essential for healthy relationships.4

For academic success, critical thinking, problem-solving, decision-making, and memory retention are essential skills.5 And encouraging children to explore, experiment, and develop new ideas will improve their creativity.6 Overall, cognitive learning is crucial for children as it helps to develop the foundational skills and abilities that are necessary for success in school, personal relationships, and future careers.




Cognitive Learning: An Age-by-Age Guide

Ages 1 to 3

Children rapidly develop cognitive skills at this stage, including object permanence, symbolic thinking, language, attention and memory, and spatial awareness. These skills lay the foundation for future learning.7​ Provide your kids with opportunities for exploration and play based learning, read and talk to them, and offer age-appropriate challenges and problem-solving activities.​8

Ages 4 to 7

Provide opportunities for children to practice and learn language, memory, attention, and problem-solving skills.9​ More complex approaches, like executive functioning—planning, organizing, and self-control, along with spatial awareness, and number sense also become easier for kids to grasp during this period.10​

Ages 8 to 12

Exploration, discovery, and learning during this period are crucial for supporting their cognitive development. They’ll be refining a range of skills such as attention, memory, language, logical thinking, metacognition, planning, spatial reasoning, and problem-solving.​ ​These help children think abstractly, reason logically, and solve problems effectively.11​

Ages 13 and up

Cognitive skills become more complex and sophisticated with skills continuing to evolve as youth face increasingly complex intellectual and social demands. Opportunities for challenge and growth can help adolescents and young adults develop the skills and knowledge they need to succeed in academic, personal, and professional settings.12​



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Learn More About Play-Based Learning

FAQ

What is cognitive learning?

It’s the way people acquire knowledge and understanding through mental processes like perception, attention, memory, and reasoning. Cognitive learning involves thinking, understanding, and applying information, concepts, and principles through activities like reading, problem-solving, observing, and listening. It’s especially important for academic and intellectual growth. 

SpringerLink. (2014). Cognitive Learning. In J. S. Matsumoto (Ed.), The SAGE Encyclopedia of Intercultural Competence (pp. 168-170). Springer. https://link.springer.com/referenceworkentry/10.1007/978-1-4419-1428-6_390 

Valamis. (n.d.). Cognitive Learning. Retrieved from https://www.valamis.com/hub/cognitive-learning

References

1. https://www.phoenix.edu/blog/what-is-cognitive-learning-theory.html#:~:text=Cognitive%20learning%20theory%20focuses%20on,build%20up%20over%20a%20lifetime

1. https://helpmegrowmn.org/HMG/HelpfulRes/Articles/WhatCognitiveDev/index.html#:~:text=Cognitive%20development%20means%20how%20children,understand%20the%20world%20around%20them

2. https://www.edubloxtutor.com/cognitive-skills/

2. http://www.ifmlab.org/files/tutorial/IFMLab_Tutorial_6.pdf

3. https://www.edubloxtutor.com/cognitive-skills/

4. https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fpsyg.2021.697901/full

5. https://dme.childrenshospital.org/wp-content/uploads/2019/02/Optional-_Teaching-Critical-Thinking-and-Problem-Solving-Skills.pdf

6. https://eastwoodschools.com/top-cognitive-skills-important-student-learning/#:~:text=Learning%20in%20schools%20need%20students,students%20might%20begin%20to%20struggle.

7. https://childdevelopmentinfo.com/child-development/intellectual-and-cognitive-development-in-children-and-teens/

8. https://raisingchildren.net.au/toddlers/play-learning/play-toddler-development/thinking-play-toddlers​​​

9. https://www.scholastic.com/parents/family-life/creativity-and-critical-thinking/development-milestones/cognitive-development-6-7-year-olds.html​​

9. https://naitreetgrandir.com/en/step/3-5-years/development/4-5-years/fiche.aspx?doc=child-cognitive-and-linguistic-development-4-5-years​​​​​

9. https://naitreetgrandir.com/en/step/5-8-years/development/5-6-years/fiche.aspx?doc=child-cognitive-and-linguistic-development-5-6-year

10. https://childdevelopmentinfo.com/child-development/intellectual-and-cognitive-development-in-children-and-teens/

11. https://childdevelopmentinfo.com/child-development/intellectual-and-cognitive-development-in-children-and-teens/​​

11. https://www.virtuallabschool.org/school-age/cognitive-development/lesson-2#:~:text=Early%20adolescence%20(ages%208%2D12,using%20and%20manipulating%20symbols%20representationally

11. https://www.scholastic.com/parents/family-life/creativity-and-critical-thinking/development-milestones/cognitive-development-8-10-year-olds.html​​

12. https://www.urmc.rochester.edu/encyclopedia/content.aspx?ContentTypeID=90&ContentID=P01594​​

12. https://pressbooks.nscc.ca/lumenlife/chapter/cognitive-development-in-adolescence/​​

Strengthen concentration, memory retention, and critical thinking through educational tools designed to elevate your child’s cognitive skills. It’s as simple as introducing activities like puzzles, brain teasers, flashcards, toys, and cognitive learning products to their play. At home, in the car, or anywhere, have fun developing cognitive skills while keeping kids entertained. Cognitive learning products offer a range of ways to improve cognitive skills, targeted to ages and skill levels, as well as products to make teaching and learning easier. Our selection includes puzzles, brain teasers, flashcards, and educational toys, as well as practical supplies for teachers like whiteboards, markers, Crayola coloring pencils, classroom furniture, organizers, and bulletin boards to support a comfortable and organized learning environment. For parents wanting to support learning at home, there are workbooks, activity books, and educational DVDs. Technology — tablets, laptops, printers — can also facilitate online learning and help students and educators stay connected. Shop our selection of cognitive learning products and teaching supplies today to enhance your cognitive skills and make learning more efficient and enjoyable. University of Phoenix. (2022). What Is Cognitive Learning Theory? Retrieved from https://www.phoenix.edu/blog/what-is-cognitive-learning-theory.html#:~:text=Cognitive%20learning%20theory%20focuses%20on,build%20up%20over%20a%20lifetime. SplashLearn. (2022). Best Brain Games for Kids. Retrieved from https://www.splashlearn.com/blog/best-brain-games-for-kids/