Cognitive development of the

preschoolers
Gamad
Piñas
Tahil
 Learning outcomes
1 3

Describe the cognitive development that

Take an informed stand/position on current
takes place among preschoolers
preschool teaching practices

Apply concept on preschoolers cognitive

development in preschool teaching and in
child care
Someone once wrote in his journal:

"Childhood is a word of miracle and wonder;

as if creation rose bathed in light, out of
darkness utterly new, fresh and astonishing.
The end of childhood is when things cease to
atonish us. When the word seems familiar,
when one has got used to existence, one has
become an adult."
SECTION ONE

Cognitive skills allow children to understand

the relationships between ideas, to grasp
the process of cause and effect and to
improve their analytical skills. All in all,
cognitive skill development not only can
benefit your child in the classroom but
outside of class as well.
Preschoolers Symbolic and Initiative
thinking
• They are considered immature aspects or
limitations of preschool children's preoperational
thought accordingly to Piaget.
There are two substage of Piaget's
preoperational thought namely,
•Symbolic substage

•Intuitive substage
Symbolic substage
• In the Symbolic substage, preschool
children' shows progress in their cognitive
abilities by being able to draw objects that
are not present, by their dramatic increase in
their language and make believe play.
Intuitive substage
• In the intuitive substage, preschool children
begin to use primitive reasoning and ask a
litany of questions. The development in their
language ability facilitates their endless
asking of questions.
Key areas of cognitive development in
preschoolers
Language Development

• Preschoolers experience rapid language

development during this time. They learn
to use more complex sentences,
understand more complex concepts,
and express themselves more
effectively.
Memory Development

• Preschoolers' memory skills also

improve during this time. They are able
to remember more information and
recall it more accurately
Problem-solving skills
• Preschoolers develop their problem-solving
skills by experimenting and trying different
things. They also learn to think more
logically and reason more effectively.
Symbolic thought
• Preschoolers begin to think more
symbolically during this time. This
means that they are able to use objects,
words, and images to represent other
things.
Receptive Language
31-36 months: 3-4 years old
• Speak on a simple sentence
• Talks about an event and it's understoo

37-48 months
• Uses newly learned words appropriately in a sentence
• Uses newly learned words appropriately when in a group conversation

49-60 months: 4-5 years old

• Draws and tells a story about his drawing
Pre-Reading and Pee-Math (matching)
standards 1.1
31-36 months: 2-1/2 to 3 years old

• Matches identical objects with 2 attributes (e.g., color &

• shape)
• Matches identical upper case letters
• Matches identical lower case letters

• 37-48 months: 3-4 years old

• Copies simple patterns with 2 or more attributes and continues this without guidance
• Recognizes familiar logos
• Recognizes signs
• Matches identical 2-to 4-letter words
• Matches identical single-digit numbers Matches identical 2-digit numbers
Pre-Reading and Pee-Math (Copying
letters and Numbers) standard 1.2
37-48 months: 3-4 years old
• Prints upper-case letters with a model with some reversals

• 49-60 months: 4-5 years old

• Prints complete name without model
• Prints upper case letters with a model with no reversals Prints lower case
letters with a model with some reversals
• Prints numbers 1-5 with a model with some reversals
Pre-Reading and Pee-Math (Copying
letters and Numbers) standard 1.2
61-71 months: 5-6 years old
• Prints upper case letters without a model and with no reversals
• Prints lower case letters without a model and with no
• reversals Prints numbers 1-5 without a model and with no reversals
Domain: Cognitive Development
Attention and Activity Level
31-36 months: 2-1/2 to 3 years old
• Completes simple tasks without prodding

• 37-48 months: 3-4 years old

• . May be distracted but re-focuses on his/her own
• Remains settled while leafing through a picture book for 5 minutes
• Remains settled while listening to a story using picture books for 5 minutes
• Sustains attention and concentration on a tabletop activity for
• 10 minutes
• Can work on a school assignment with minimal supervision
Domain: Cognitive Development
Attention and Activity Level
49-60 months: 4-5 years old
• Sustains attention and concentration on a tabletop activity for 15-20
minutes

• . Can work on a school assignment with minimal supervision

61-71 months: 5-6 years old

• Can work on a school assignment independently
Higher- Order Mental abilities (Concept
formation)
31-36 months: 2-1/2 to 3 years old
• reversals
• Knows the difference between a recent event and one that happened a long
time ago
• Counts with one-to-one correspondence
• Understands the concept of number-quantity relation from 1 through 5 (e.g..
hands over 5 objects when asked)
• Groups objects by shape Arranges objects by length
• Arranges objects according to size Can tell in what way 2 things are the
same
• Can tell in what way 2 things are different
Higher- Order Mental abilities (Concept
formation)
37-48 months: 3-4 years old
• Can tell which is prettier/nicer of 2 items based on his/her
• criteria
• Groups pictured objects according to category Can tell which is left and
right on him/herself
• Understands "more" and "less"
• Understands the concept of conservation of matter at a rudimentary level
Higher- Order Mental abilities (Concept
formation)
49-60 months: 4-5 years old
• Can tell which is the left and right of people facing him/her
• Knows the difference between yesterday, today, and tomorrow
• Understands the concept of number-quantity relations for 1-10
• Demonstrates concept of addition using finger or objects
• Demonstrates concept of subtraction using fingers or objects
Higher-Oriented Mental abilities (cause
and effect relationship)
31-36 months: 2-1/2 to 3 years old
Can complete a simple pattern with occasional guidance
37-48 months: 3-4 years old
• Understands reasons behind rules and practices in school
• Understands reasons behind rules and practices in the community, like
those pertaining to sanitation, environmental preservation, etc.
Memory (Episodic Memory)
31-36 months: 2-1/2 to 3 years old
• Talks about things that happened during a particular event that occurred
some time back
Memory: (Memory for Concept-Based
Knowledge-Semantic Memory)
37-48 months: 3-4 years old
• Repeats 5- to 7-word sentences correctly short song
• Memorizes the lyrics of a Memorizes a short rhyme
• Remembers the gist and many details of stories told or read
• 49-60 months: 4-5 years old
• Can recite the days of the week with some errors Remembers lessons
learned in school even after several days
• have passed 61-71 months: 5-6 years old
• Can recite the days of the week with no errors
• Can recite the months of the year with some errors
Higher-Ordered Mental Abilities (Logical
Reasoning)
31-36months: 2-1/2 to 3 years old
• Can complete a simple pattern with occasional guidance
37-48 months: 3-4 years old
• Can tell what is silly or wrong with absurd pictured scenes Relates
experiences in sequence or as these happened
• Can appreciate humorous stories or jokes that his/her peers also
• find funny (e.g., "knock-knock" jokes)
• Knows that certain things are the same and therefore can be substituted
for each other (e.g., liquid and powdered detergents)
Higher-Ordered Mental Abilities (Logical
Reasoning)
• Can state opposite relationships Can give substantive reasons why he/she
like something or not
• . Can argue a point/stand logically
• Can complete a simple pattern (e.g., beads, pictures, shapes) without
guidance
• 49-60 months: 4-5 years old
• Knows that certain elements remain the same even if their positions
change (e.g., 2+3 and 3 +2 equal 5) Able to predict what will happen next
in a story
• Can predict how a story will end half-way through
Higher-Ordered Mental Abilities (Planning
and Organizing)
• 31-36 months: 2-1/2 to 3 years old
• Can plan how he/she will carry out an activity with adult guidance (e.g.,
eating, household chores and putting structure in activities) Has almost
everything he/she needs before starting an
• activity
• 37-48 months: 3-4 years old Can dress following an organized sequence
• Can bathe following an organized sequence 49-60 months: 4-5 years old
• Can plan how he/she will carry out an activity without adult guidance
Higher-Ordered Mental Abilities (Creative
Thought)
31-36 months: 2-1/2 to 3 years old
• Pretends to be engaged in "grown up" activities (e.g., playing office)
• Pretends to be a character in a familiar story
• Creates new words or names for people or objects 37-48 months: 3-4
years old
• Can make a pun or joke
• Creates some dance moves Creates lyrics of songs using familiar melody
• Pretends to be a character in his/her own made-up story Formulates rules
to implement in a game
Higher-Ordered Mental Abilities (Creative
Thought)
49-60 months: 4-5 years old
• Can draw things or scenes from experience but with no actual model or
reference (i.e., from memory) 61-71 months: 5-6 years old
• Can draw or paint things that do not exist in real life (i.e.
• fantasy or imagination)
Higher-Ordered Mental Abilities
(Cognitive Flexibility)
• 37-48 months: 2-1/2 to 3 years old
• Modifies actions based on new experiences (e.g., change block
• structure that falls)
• Explores alternative solutions to a problem and selects one
• option .
• Is able to shift activities without much fuss
• Is able to know when the topic of conversation has changed and adjust
accordingly
• Cognitive development is a critical part of
preschooler growth and development. By
providing support and opportunities for
learning, parents and caregivers can help
preschoolers to reach their full potential.
THANK YOU!!!