Resources here address the skills children use to understand and organize their world: reasoning, memory, problem-solving, and thinking skills. For preschoolers, cognition expands to include mathematical development and scientific reasoning.
Cognition is one of the five central domains of the Head Start Early Learning Outcomes Framework (ELOF). Other ELOF domains include approaches to learning; social and emotional development; language and literacy; and perceptual, motor, and physical development.
The experiences we have as children shape our brains and set the stage for a lifetime of learning. In this podcast, learn the basics of brain development and how to support children's healthy brain development.
Children need extra support in their earliest days to grow a healthy brain. Caring relationships, child-centered interactions, and responsive care are keys to nurturing healthy brain development.
Discover the basics of brain development and how early experiences shape the architecture of a child’s brain. Learn about the importance of back-and-forth interactions and strategies that support this growth.
Messy play is the active exploration of materials like water and paper. It offers rich learning experiences for infants and toddlers. Listen to this podcast for strategies to make this activity fun and manageable.
Hear from experts about early math development. Find out how to integrate early geometry concepts into everyday teaching practices to help very young children begin to develop their math skills.
Find out how infant/toddler teachers and family child care providers can help very young children learn early math concepts and skills. Hear from experts who share information on early math development.
Explore this module to learn about children's brain building and development. It includes the following topics: Brain Building Basics, the Brain and Learning, and Stress and the Brain.
Messy play is the open-ended exploration of materials and their properties. Learn ways to manage the mess as children learn foundational cognitive principles and exercise motor, language, and social skills.
Listen as Andy Meltzoff discusses the ELOF. Learn ways to provide effective learning experiences that support cognition.
Hear from Daryl Greenfield as he talks about the ELOF and how cognition for infants and toddlers develops into scientific reasoning for preschoolers.