Richard Rooney M.D on Improving Cognitive Development

Your child's brain and cognitive functions develop throughout different stages in life. According to Jean Piaget’s theory, your child’s cognitive development is broken down into 4 different life stages; these stages are as follows:

• Sensorimotor Stage - Birth to two years
• Preoperational Stage- Two to seven years
• Concrete Operational Stage- Seven to eleven years
• Formal Operational Stage- Twelve and up

These stages are broken down to signify the different cognitive milestones that happen within specific age groups. While many of these functions happen naturally as your child's brain develops, parents can take the next step in improving these essential cognitive functions by incorporating fun activities that will keep your child engaged.

Practice the Alphabet and Counting
Learning how to count and understand the alphabet is essential to your child’s cognitive development. A great way to do this is incorporating song into the practice. Singing along with your child as they recite the alphabet or their first numbers, promotes memory retention and word identification. If you want to make sure your child is engaged in this activity, try making it a tangible lesson; create cut-outs of letters and numbers with vibrant colors that your child can physically see and touch.

Sensory Engaging Activities
Relating to Piaget’s theory and the first stage of development, sensory activities help your child engage different senses such as touch, sight, and sound. Have your child identify different noises that they may hear throughout the day. Asking questions such as “What sound does a cow make?”, or “What color is a banana?”, will not only engage their senses but improve other cognitive functions such as memory. Additionally, you can create craft type projects that utilize different materials that your child can touch. This will help them learn by association with their senses.

Memory Games
Memory games are an efficient way to engage your child's working memory, all while adding fun to the lesson. You can try games like go fish or matching tiles. Games such as these will not only improve your child’s memorization skills but also their concentration. Two skill sets that your child will utilize for the rest of their lives.

Introduce Organizational Skills
Teaching your child organizational skills can benefit them as they grow. Though it may make your “clean up” time a little longer, it’s important to include them in the process. Asking questions such as, “where do your toys go” helps them remember where items around the house belong. Making tasks like this into a fun game will engage your child in the process, and prevent them from associating “cleaning up” in a negative way.

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This article was originally published on richardrooneymd.org

About the Author

Richard Rooney M.D. is a board certified orthopaedic spine surgeon who works in Seattle, Washington at his own private practice. He resides in Seattle, WA with his wife and two sons. Throughout his career, Richard Rooney M.D. has distinguished himself as a renowned orthopaedic surgeon. He truly loves the immersive nature of his work and the fact that he's able to help people live better, less painful lives. Through his practice, Seattle Spine Group, Richard focuses on treatment for back pain, neck pain, radiculopathy, and sciatica. They recently introduced an entire spectrum of spine care and stem cell therapy care with a focus on disk replacement.
When Richard Rooney M.D. isn't busy at work as a spine surgeon, he likes to spend his time outdoors with his wife and sons, enjoying all the natural and manmade beauty that his home state of Washington has to offer.

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