7.1 - Cognitive Skills

Question 1

What cognitive skills can you do - 0-1 years?
From 3 months
From 8 months

Answer 1

From 3 months -
- recognise familiar faces
From 8 months -
- looks for an object that has been removed
- places an object in a container when asked
- finds an object that has been seen and then hidden

Question 2

What cognitive skills can you do at 1-2 years?

Answer 2

• understand simple instructions - come
• points to parts of the body
• points to a named picture

Question 3

What cognitive skills does a 2-3 year old have?

Answer 3

• completes a three piece puzzle
• copies a circle
• matches textures
• is able to point to little and big (which is the big spoon)
• matches 3 colours
• stacks beakers in order
• can find the odd one out in a group of objects

Question 4

What cognitive skills does a 3-4 year old have?

Answer 4

• tells if an object is light or heavy
• is able to repeat a simple story
• matches objects one to one (putting one plate on each placement on the table)
• points to long and short objects
• is able to sort objects by shapes and sizes
• knows the name of the primary colours
• names 3 shapes
• counts ten objects with support

Question 5

What cognitive skills do a 4-5 year old have?

Answer 5

• recognises and writes own name
• picks up a number of objects (find me 4 beads)
• names 8 / more colours
• is able to decide which object is the heavier by comparing objects
• is able to complete a 20 piece jigsaw

Question 6

What cognitive skills do 5-6 year olds have?

Answer 6

• counts accurately to 20/more
• can manage simple calculations using objects
• can play a board game involving simple rules
• can point to half and whole objects
• enjoys simple jokes
• is able to make connections between different experiences and articulate these easily

Question 7

What cognitive skills do 6-7 year olds have?

Answer 7

• can read and write
• can play a board game that requires some logic
• can manage simple calculations without the use of concrete objects
• can predict what might happen next in a story
• understands and can make simple jokes
• can argue using some logic

Question 8

What cognitive skills do 7-11 year olds have?

Answer 8

• able to read and write
• able to play board games and understands the need for rules
• learning how to tell the time and use money and are able to do so from 9 years
• can talk about hypothetical events
• able to calculate without using objects (adding 2 numbers together)
• can make connections between what they already know and new info

Question 9

What cognitive skills do 11 - 16 year olds have?

Answer 9

• ability in some situations to be systematic in order to solve problems
• developing ability to predict and speculate about complex abstract issues (should everyone earn the same)
• speed is increasing on some tasks as memory and processing skills develop
• Logic is developing and so games requiring strategy eg: chess and monopoly are enjoyed by some young people
• growing ability to analyse texts and abstract problems ( how do you know this character is lying?)

Question 10

What cognitive skills does a 16+ year old have?

Answer 10

• significant differences between individuals at this age partly dependent on their level of education and interests
• ability to think ahead in the short term but not yet able to imagine the consequences of actions and decisions in the very long term - be sure the part of our brain that deals with decision making is still developing