0-8 months
Young infants from birth to 8 months develop 4 components of cognitive abilities. Cognitive development is crucial because it fosters critical thinking, attention, and knowledge retention skills (“Cognitive Development”, n.d.). In this period, the infant learns about and investigates its own body’s reactions. It involves reflexive actions, such as grasping and sucking, and adapting these actions to the environment (“Cognitive Development”, n.d.).
In addition, the newborn gains the ability to remember things and solve problems. To make sense of its surroundings and engage with it, it increasingly switches from reflexes to intentional acts based on prior experiences. When it comes to imitation, kids begin clapping their hands and making repetitive noises with toys when their parents say “patty-cake” (“Cognitive Development”, n.d.). As a result, toddlers engage in reflexive behavior and repetition from birth to eight months of age, during which time they also begin to make their first voluntary environmental adjustments.
6-18 months
During the later stages of infancy, between 6 and 18 months, toddlers continue to develop. At this point, the toddler is regarded as a “little scientist” in terms of memory and discovery, investigating the world via trial and error. For instance, they may touch a hot pan to discover that it is hot and refrain from touching it again. Moreover, they begin to imitate others’ actions and understand social contexts. For instance, they may start to point at things to communicate what they need after observing their parents.
Finally, in terms of problem-solving, toddlers develop a concept of object permanence. This means that they understand that objects they do not see remain in the world (“Cognitive Development”, n.d.). For example, after dropping a toy under the bed, a toddler will start looking for it there. Hence, between 6 and 18 months, toddlers begin to understand object permanence and engage in imitation and trial-and-error.
15-36 months
Between 15 and 36 months, children further develop their cognitive functions. Through discovery and imitation, the child begins to speak their first words, which develop into 3-word sentences by 36 months. Moreover, their memory and problem-solving abilities also develop. For instance, toddlers at this age can understand from their observations that if they cannot open a door themselves, they can knock on it, and someone on the other side may open it (“Cognitive Development”, n.d.). Hence, for the first 3 years, toddlers start learning language skills and developing their interactions with the world.
Reference
Cognitive Development in Infants and Toddlers. (n.d.). NSCC.