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# 3 Early years: Learning and Cognitive development

Vygotsky believed in a thought that development occurs as a direct result of contact with the environment and language, and the thought develops independently, but later they merge and interact and carving the cognitive path.

Cognitive development refers to mental processes connected with memory, perception, problem solving and reasoning ability and language acquisition. It is usually assessed with an IQ test. This development is generally associated with skills, academics and cognitive control. So we are not very wrong if we say that cognitive development can easily be defined as the expected outcome in communication, thinking and understanding. This is given a different name or a special name in case the expected outcomes are not met or there is a delay.

As a parent of two to four-year-olds,

it is not easy to see the parameters of cognitive development. Early learning years and developmental schools play an active role in recognising and developing the skills and abilities of a child. Child centric approach in education institutions have shown a consistent and positive impact on cognitive development.

The child-centric approach shows not only guided exploration, but also open exploration depending on the cognitive development stage of the child. So there is an immediate need for the education institutes to evaluate the efficacy of training the trainers to be able to support the needs of early learners. So parents, before choosing a schools, need to research and have a clear understanding of what they are looking at for their child.

Social emotional skill and development most of the time leads to cognitive development, especially in the early years. The ability to sit still, pay attention, engage in learning and ask questions leads to thinking and understanding and a better cognitive map. A healthy body can also lead to better cognitive development, missing fewer days in school, and a well-nourished child will have better absorption power and hence develop better cognitive skills.

Home environment of care, love and safety can help the brain to relax, develop confidence, which in turn leads to better cognitive development.

Early learning plays an important role and gets the child to be future ready, as parents and adults, it is our responsibility to assess and create such an environment which motivates a child and can develop better self-esteem to be able to meet the expectations of cognitive standards.....

Embracing this mindset turns life itself into a classroom—one where the final bell never rings, and every experience, big or small, becomes an invitation to grow....