Cognitive Development &
A Typical Course of Study for Preschool

You hear a lot in the media about how researchers in the field of early childhood education say the early years of life, from ages 0-5, are the prime time for brain development. They tell us that children should be exposed to numerous experiences that lead to cognitive development so that they will have academic success when they begin school.

Most professionals point to preschools as places where young children will get the experiences they need to acquire these skills. Why? What exactly is "cognitive development" and what can preschool parents do to encourage it in their own young children without sending them to preschool?

There's no big mystery to "cognitive development." It refers to functions of the brain such as thinking, learning, awareness, judgment, and processing information. These are things healthy children do quite naturally as they learn and grow.

The Swiss philosopher and psychologist, Jean Piaget (1896-1980), was the first to suggest that children go through different stages of cognitive or mental development and that learning activities should correlate to and adjust with these developmental stages as follows:

Sensorimotor Stage, 0-2 years of age, child learns through sensation and movement.
Pre-Operational Stage, 2-7 years, children begin to understand and master symbols (language) and draw from past experiences to make assumptions about things and people in their world.
Concrete Operational Stage, 7-11 years, the child's ability to reason begins, based on his/her own personal experiences.
Formal Operational Stage, 11+ years, children can speculate, understand abstract ideas, and develop theories.

Piaget invented developmental psychology and cognitive theory - the foundation for education-reform movements. Piaget inspired the belief that children are not empty vessels to be filled with knowledge (as traditional pedagogical theory had it) but active builders of knowledge who are constantly creating and testing their own theories of the world.

Note: You can learn more about Piaget here:

So, what are some of the activities that correlate with the cognitive developmental stage of 2-5 year olds? A typical course of study designed for preschoolers suggests concepts that educators think children ages 2-5 should learn.

What follows is an adapted listing of the World Book Encyclopedia's Typical Course of Study for Preschoolers.

It suggests the key concepts to help children understand during the preschool years.

Activities should help the preschooler to:

Understand Size:

Big and little.
Long and short.
Match objects based on size.

Identify Colors and Shapes:

Recognize and name primary colors - red, yellow, blue, green, white, black.
Recognize and identify circles, squares, rectangles, and triangles.
Match objects based on shape.
Copy a shape on paper.

Identify Numbers & Count:

Recognize numbers from 1-10.
Count to ten.
Count objects in one-to-one correspondence.
Understands more and less.

Reading Readiness Concepts & Skills:

Has been read to daily.
Has own books.
Looks at books and magazines.
Uses left-to-right progression.
Pretends to read.
Understands that print carries a message.
Recognizes some nursery rhymes.
Looks at pictures and tells a story.
Answers questions about a short story.
Knows what a letter is and is familiar with the alphabet.
Remembers objects from a given picture.
Pronounces own first and last name.
Identifies own first name in manuscript.
Prints own first name.
Identifies other children by name.
Expresses self verbally.
Can repeat a sentence of 6-8 words.
Can complete an incomplete sentence with proper word.
Tells the meaning of simple words.
Identifies parts of the body.
Identifies objects that have a functional use.
Knows common farm and zoo animals.

Listening and Sequencing:

Follows simple directions.
Listens to a short story.
Listens attentively.
Recognizes common sounds.
Can repeat a sequence of sounds.
Can repeat a sequence of numbers.
Retells simple stories in sequence.

Position and Direction:

Child should understand:
- up and down
- in and out
- front and back.
- over, on, and under
- top, bottom, middle
- beside and next to
- hot and cold.
- fast and slow
- full and empty
- day and night
- time - such as morning, noon, night
- knows age and birthday
- Can identify a calendar

Motor Skills:

Child is able to:
- run
- walk a straight line
- jump
- hop
- alternate feet walking down stairs
- march
- stand on one foot for 5-10 seconds
- walk backwards for five feet
- throw a ball
- paste objects
- clap hands
- matches simple objects
- touches fingers
- button a garment
- builds with blocks
- completes simple puzzles (5 pieces or less)
- draw and color beyond a simple scribble
- zip a zipper
- control pencil and crayon well
- cut simple shapes with scissors (handles scissors well)
- copy simple shapes

Social-Emotional Development:

Note: This list includes skills necessary to attend school. If you intend to homeschool, then some of these items would not be necessary. Homeschooled children can develop these skills in a much more natural and less stressful way.

Can be away from parents or primary care givers for 2-3 hours without being upset.
Takes care of toilet needs independently.
Feels good about self.
Cares for own belongings.
Knows full name.
Dresses self.
Knows how to use handkerchief or tissue.
Knows own sex.
Brushes teeth.
Crosses residential street safely.
Knows parents' names.
Knows home address.
Knows home phone number.
Enters into casual conversation.
Carries a plate of food.
Maintains self-control.
Gets along well with other children.
Plays with other children.
Recognizes authority.
Shares with others.
Talks easily.
Meets visitors without shyness.
Puts away toys.
Able to stay on task.
Able to work independently.
Helps family with chores.

In order to find activities that you can do at home to help your children learn these concepts, I engaged the assistance of Fran Wisniewski (who conducts research and writes regularly for the UniversalPreschool.com website). I asked her to try to find hands-on activities that use materials parents can easily find at home. What she came up with will astound you. In fact, what she developed was so massive that we had to break it down into manageable categories as part of our very own...

Home Preschool Curriculum Guide

Here, you'll find ideas and activities to help you help your child understand the concepts needed to succeed whether they attend school or homeschool.

The first section of our guide addresses the concepts of size, colors, shapes, numbers, and learning to count.

[Next: Learning Concepts]



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