Fostering Cognitive Excellence in Kids: Here's What You Should Know

Children grow quickly in the first few years of their lives across distinct developmental dimensions. These comprise physical or motor, linguistic, cognitive, and social. To let your child attain his or her full potential, understanding how to better nurture these areas of development can be noteworthy. This article talks about the cognitive development of children and how you can contribute to it.

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What is Cognitive Ability?

Cognition can be described as the mental process of acquiring information and understanding by experience, thought and senses. Cognition is closely associated with intelligence. While cognition is comprehension and acquisition of knowledge, intelligence is the capability to adapt to unfamiliar situations and understand things easily. Therefore, cognitive development is the evolution of a child's ability to think, understand and explore. Deepening of knowledge, new skills, better problem-solving abilities and creative ways of thinking are some changes associated with cognitive development. It has been found that cognitive abilities can predict academic achievement in school and give children better opportunities for the future. 

Cognitive development is interlinked with brain development which is why all experiences since birth play a role in a child's cognitive development. 

How can you foster the cognitive development of your child?

As a parent, you can initiate various activities to foster better cognitive development in your child. Actively interacting as much as possible is an excellent way to foster cognitive development and build a better relationship with your child. 

Letting your child help with chores, going to different places in the vicinity, holding proper conversations and thoughtful discussions, answering their questions with as much clarity as possible, and letting them explore their interests are some examples of the ways your actions can stimulate your children’s cognitive development. 

Similarly, your child's school environment is crucial for his or her cognitive development. Children spend at least one-fourth of their days in school, away from home. The kind of peers, activities, knowledge, and experiences your child gathers in school will become a catalyst for his or her cognitive development.

What role do schools play in improving children’s cognitive abilities?

Schools offer multifaceted experiences to children. Interacting with peers who are similar in age, preparing for tests and other stressful events, organizing extracurricular activities etc. are some ways in which children learn to manage themselves in a structured environment like school. Therefore, schooling can boost your child's cognitive abilities and allow him or her a wider range of opportunities available later in life. Furthermore, research has found that schooling can delay the onset of dementia by increasing the potential peak of cognitive functioning. 

All of this points to the necessity of choosing the best possible school for your child. A study done on Dutch schools concluded that students in higher-quality schools developed their cognitive abilities faster than students in lower-quality schools. In other words, the kind of school environment you pick for your child is bound to affect his or her cognitive development. To let your child reach his or her potential, picking a great school is necessary. 

About Pragatti International School

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Pragatti International School is an excellent, coed school based in the suburbs of Pune, Maharashtra. This English medium day school was established in 2019 and offers classes up to grade 10. It is affiliated with the CBSE board. 

Pragatti International School boasts of an impressive 25:1 student-teacher ratio to ensure personalized attention and guidance. The school has smart classes and a Wi-Fi network across the campus. It offers various extracurricular activities such as music classes, dance classes, art and craft, outdoor sports, indoor sports and a playground. The campus includes a science lab, computer lab, library, and medical room. 

Pragatti International School follows its vision to help each child discover and nurture his/her unique talents. The school prides itself on building its students' self-confidence and inculcating a positive attitude towards life. 

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