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My research question for this Signature Project at Arizona State University is “What is the effect of play on physical, cognitive, and psycho-social development on the early childhood stage children?” I will be researching the early childhood group, aged between 3 and 8 years old. I will be highlighting my findings on the cognitive developmental domain this week. First, we will look at the developmental milestones of a "typical" child between the ages of 3 and 8 years old (early childhood age).
“Play is essential to development because it contributes to the cognitive, physical, social, and emotional well-being of children and youth (Ginsburg, 2007).” |
Major Cognitive Developmental Milestones
for Early Childhood Age Children, Aged 3 to 8 Years Old
(By Age) |
A "Typical" 4 Year Old
(My Daughter)
Cognition Milestone:
Is able to sit at a
desk independantly
color by numbers
Cognition Building Activity:
Do puzzles
(we created one):
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3 to 4
years old: |
- Say his or her name and age
- Speak 250 to 500 words
- Answer simple questions
- Speak in sentences of five to six words, and speak in complete sentences by age 4
- Speak clearly, although they may not be fully comprehensible until age 4
- Tell stories
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5 to 6
years old: |
- Vocabulary increasing to approximately 2,000 words
- Can compose sentences with five or more words
- Can count up to 10 objects at one time
- Know left and right
- Begin to reason and argue; uses words like why and because
- Can categorize objects: “These are toys; these are books.”
- Understand concepts like yesterday, today, and tomorrow
- Can copy complex shapes, such as a diamond
- Should be sounding out simple words like “hang”, “neat”, “jump” and “sank”
- Are able to sit at a desk, follow teacher instructions, and independently do simple in-class assignments
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7 to 8
years old: |
- Develop a longer attention span
- Are willing to take on more responsibility (i.e. chores)
- Understand fractions and the concept of space
- Understand money
- Can tell time
- Can name months and days of week in order
- Enjoy reading a book on their own
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A "Typical" 4 Year Old
(My Daughter)
Cognition Building Activity: Draw body with more than 5 body parts:
Cognition Building Activity: Art Project
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My research question explores the cognitive milestones that are typically experienced between 3 and 8 years old, identifies the risks of not meeting those milestones, and the protective factors that support healthy development in the early childhood years. |
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Trauma is a RISK Factor for any kind of development
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Cognition Building Activity: Build shapes with PlayDoh.
Cognition Building Activity: Stack anything!
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There are always RISKS factors that can derail healthy cognitive development for any child. As parents and teachers, it is our job to help them avoid these risks at all costs. A few examples of risks are:
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Trauma, Abuse,
Neglect and Brain Development: |
“A child’s capacity to control emotions is related to the interactions between his or her biological system and early experiences and attachments. Evidence also suggests that high levels of stress in the earliest years undermine brain development. Thus, children deprived of early warm and nurturing relationships may experience life-long adverse consequences such as impaired school performance and inability to modulate emotions (Risk, 2004).” Typically, these risk factors are experienced over a long period of time and follow a pattern. |
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Depression,
Substance Abuse
in the Family: |
“Parents coping with depression are especially vulnerable to difficulties in establishing warm and nurturing relationships with their children. Depression has been associated with punitive parenting, as well as with anxiety and aggression in children. Parents suffering from other mental illnesses or substance abuse, or parents who themselves have not experienced nurturing parenting may also be at risk of developing poor relationship patterns with their children (Risk, 2004).” This category of risk factors is not eclusive to just family members, but people in the orbit of family memvers as well. |
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| Poverty: |
“Poverty itself, and the chronic and episodic crises associated with it, may affect parenting, as do community risks such as neighborhoods with high crime rates. With early onset conduct disorder, dysfunction starts early and lasts long, with related delinquency and emotional and behavioral problems reaching into adulthood (Risk, n.d.).” Like trauma, neglect and substance abuse, these risk factors are experienced over a long period of time and follow a pattern. |
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There are always PROTECTIVE factors that can SUPPORT healthy cognitive development for any child in spite of the many risks present in everyday life. As parents and teachers, it is our job to promote them to ensure proper, healthy development all costs. A few examples of protective factors are:
- Environment:: Warm, caring, nurturing, contextually and experientially rich, stimulating environment that provides opportunity for sensory experience and promotes attachment to caregiver and provides stability, security, and structure; low distress (Risk, 2004)
- Personal characteristics of child: Low emotionality; active, alert, high vigor, drive sociability; easy, engaging temperament (affectionate; cuddly); self-help skills; above average intelligence (language and problem-solving skills) play a huge part in protective factors of a child; the way they handle themselves in high risk situations shows continued cognitive development (Risk, 2004).
- Supportive "microsystem":: Bronfrenbrenner's microsystem contains family, friends, teachers, and people around the community that they interact with daily. Parental competence/education, supportive grandparents/supportive siblings, family size and level of harmony are all protective measures as well (Risk, 2004).
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| Problem Statement |
Children between the ages of 3 and 8 years old derive substantial developmental benefit through play but must avoid common risk factors associated with cognitive development (trauma/abuse/neglect, family mental health issues and poverty among other things) so that their proper development is not hindered. |
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| “Play is essential to development because it contributes to the cognitive, physical, social, and emotional well-being of children and youth (Ginsburg, 2007).” As parents, you can PROMOTE positive developmental outcomes in the cognitive domain in many ways, including but not limited to: |
Cognition Building Activity: Encourage children to cook with you (counting, name ingredients, roll dough, etc...)
Cognition Building Activity: WaterBottle Bowling: counting up to 10 things
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- Play simple board games like ‘Snakes and ladders’ with your child, or simple card games like ‘Go fish’ or ‘Snap’.
- Read books and tell jokes and riddles.
- Encourage stacking and building games or play with cardboard boxes.
- Do simple jigsaw puzzles and memory games.
- Play games that combine moving and singing – for example, ‘If you’re happy and you know it’.
- When you’re driving or on public transport, try ‘spotto’ games – for example, ‘Who can see something green?
- Encourage your child to help you with cooking – preschoolers can learn a lot from measuring, counting and naming healthy ingredients for family meals.
- Play outside. For example, you could make mud pies or go on a nature walk together.
- Ideas from (Play, n.d.)
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| Actionable items that families can do to increase active play |
- Play Outside. Outdoor playtime has been shown as a particularly effective way to improve cognition in kids (10 ideas, n.d.). ...
- Go on Field Trips
- Put on Music
- Learn Shapes and Colors
- Ask a Lot of Questions
- Encourage Help With Chores
- Do Art Projects
- Look in the Mirror
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The ideas are beneficial to whoever reads them because it brings attention to a few of the most important factors in the proper cognitive development in children between the ages of 3 and 8 years of age and offers simple solutions to some of the problems offered by these factors.
Thank you for your time. |
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