Table of ContentsView AllTable of ContentsBirth to 3 Months3 to 6 Months6 to 9 Months9 to 12 Months1 to 2 Years2 to 3 Years3 to 4 Years4 to 5 YearsReaching Cognitive Milestones
Table of ContentsView All
View All
Table of Contents
Birth to 3 Months
3 to 6 Months
6 to 9 Months
9 to 12 Months
1 to 2 Years
2 to 3 Years
3 to 4 Years
4 to 5 Years
Reaching Cognitive Milestones
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Cognitive milestones represent important steps forward in a child’s development. Cognitive development refers to how children think, learn, explore, remember, and solve problems.
Historically, babies were often thought of as simple, passive beings. Prior to the 20th century, children were often seen simply as miniature versions of adults.
It wasn’t until psychologists likeJean Piagetproposed that childrenthink differentlythan adults that people began to view childhood and adolescence as unique periods of growth and development.
In the past, adults often dismissed the remarkable intellectual skills of infants and very young children, but modern thinkers and researchers have discovered that babies are, in fact, always learning, thinking, and exploring the world around them.
Even newborn infants are actively taking in information and learning new things. In addition to gathering new information about the people and the world around them, babies constantly discover new things about themselves.
This article discusses cognitive milestones that occur between the ages of birth and five years. It also explores what you can do to help encourage your child’s cognitive development.
From Birth to 3 Months
The first three months of a child’s life are a time of wonder. Major developmental milestones at this age focus on exploring the basic senses and learning more about the body and the environment.
During this period, most infants begin to:
From 3 to 6 Months
In early infancy, perceptual abilities are still developing. From the age of 3–6 months, infants begin to develop a stronger sense ofperception. At this age, most babies begin to:
From 6 to 9 Months
From the age of 6–9 months, researchers have found that most infants begin to:
From 9 to 12 Months
As infants become more physically adept, they can explore the world around them in greater depth. Sitting up, crawling, and walking are just a few physical milestones that allow babies to gain a greater mental understanding of the world around them.
As they approach one year of age, most infants can:
The Sensorimotor Stage of Cognitive Development
From 1 to 2 Years
Most one-year-olds begin to:
From 2 to 3 Years
At two years of age, children are becoming increasingly independent. Since they are now able to explore the world more fully, a great deal of learning during this stage is the result of their own experiences.
Most two-year-olds are able to:
From 3 to 4 Years
Children become increasingly capable of analyzing the world around them more complexly. As they observe their environment, they begin to sort and categorize objects and ideas into different categories, often referred to asschemas.
Since children are becoming much more active in the learning process, they also begin to pose questions about the world around them. “Why?” becomes a very common question around this age.
At the age of three, most kids are able to:
From 4 to 5 Years
As they near school age, children become better at using words, imitating adult actions, counting, and other basic activities that are important for school preparedness.
Most four-year-olds are able to:
The Preoperational Stage of Cognitive Development
Help Kids Reach Cognitive Milestones
Finding ways to encourage children’s intellectual development is on the minds of most parents. Fortunately, children are eager to learn right from the very beginning.
Takeaways
Developmental milestones provide guideposts so that children can better understand whether their child is developing similarly to other children their age. However, it is important for parents to remember that all kids develop at their own pace. Some cognitive milestones may emerge earlier and others later. Talk to your child’s doctor if you are concerned about your child’s development.
Piaget’s 4 Stages of Cognitive Development Explained
5 SourcesVerywell Mind uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.Larcher V.Children are not small adults: Significance of biological and cognitive development in medical practice.Handbook Philos Med.2015. doi:10.1007/978-94-017-8706-2_16-1Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.CDC’s Developmental milestones.UNICEF.Your toddler’s developmental milestones at 2 years.Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia.Developmental milestones.Child Mind Institute.Complete guide to developmental milestones.
5 Sources
Verywell Mind uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.Larcher V.Children are not small adults: Significance of biological and cognitive development in medical practice.Handbook Philos Med.2015. doi:10.1007/978-94-017-8706-2_16-1Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.CDC’s Developmental milestones.UNICEF.Your toddler’s developmental milestones at 2 years.Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia.Developmental milestones.Child Mind Institute.Complete guide to developmental milestones.
Verywell Mind uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.
Larcher V.Children are not small adults: Significance of biological and cognitive development in medical practice.Handbook Philos Med.2015. doi:10.1007/978-94-017-8706-2_16-1Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.CDC’s Developmental milestones.UNICEF.Your toddler’s developmental milestones at 2 years.Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia.Developmental milestones.Child Mind Institute.Complete guide to developmental milestones.
Larcher V.Children are not small adults: Significance of biological and cognitive development in medical practice.Handbook Philos Med.2015. doi:10.1007/978-94-017-8706-2_16-1
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.CDC’s Developmental milestones.
UNICEF.Your toddler’s developmental milestones at 2 years.
Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia.Developmental milestones.
Child Mind Institute.Complete guide to developmental milestones.
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