Cognitive and language development are two focus areas in preschool that are critical to healthy development for a child. Cognitive development is about thinking, reasoning and understanding. Language development allows children to communicate to and understand others. Both areas are important components of:

Encouraging children’s natural curiosity
Teachers provide stimulating play scenarios to develop cognitive and language skills through areas like Science where children investigate the physical world. Children experiment through repetition by rolling a ball down a hill, or blowing bubbles to see if they get the same results every time. Teachers also use Social Studies to prompt exploration and language. Children will bring in pictures of their families to share and begin discussing similarities and differences.

Providing building blocks for communicating
with others
Teachers help develop thinking skills and the ability to express that thinking through areas like Language and early Literacy which are often about speaking and listening, building vocabulary, and cultivating a love of literature. For example, preschool teachers lead interactive ‘read-alouds’, intentionally pausing to ask key questions about the story.

Preparing children for formal schooling
Teachers lay the foundation for future learning in a variety of ways, for instance through areas like Math. Math is often about gaining experience with concrete materials to build conceptual knowledge. For example, at snack time preschool teachers may ask, ‘How do we make sure each child gets the same amount of crackers?’ to begin discussing simple fractions.