Maharashtra Board Class 11 Child Development Chapter 7 Infancy Cognitive and Language Development PDF Download

Infancy - Cognitive and Language Development

Reflection / Darpan

Use your imagination and thinking and give unique uses of the following objects.

Newspaper, Pen, Dupatta

The answer that you came up with indicates your ability to perceive the object, think about it, use your knowledge and experience. This is your cognitive ability.

Cognitive Development

Cognition is a general term that refers to the mental activities involved in acquiring, retaining and using knowledge. It includes concepts such as learning, perception, memory and thinking. It is influenced by biological, environmental, experiential, social and motivational factors.

Meaning and Importance

Cognitive development refers to the growth and refinement of intellectual processes.

It is concerned with the ways children acquire, develop and use mental capacities such as problem solving, memory and language.

Cognitive development refers to a gradual and orderly change by which mental processes become more complex and advanced.

It helps children to adapt to the changing environmental conditions.

It helps them to acquire important cognitive skills such as thinking, reasoning, observation, memorizing, problem solving.

Teacher's Note

When a baby touches a hot cup and learns it is hot, this is cognitive development. The baby is learning about the world.

Exam Trick

Remember: Cognitive means thinking and learning. Think about "cognac" - you need a brain to enjoy it! So cognition = brain + learning.

Points to Remember

Cognition means using your brain to learn and remember.
It includes thinking, memory, and understanding.
Babies learn by touching, seeing, and listening to things.
Every new experience helps a baby's brain grow.
Learning happens from the day a baby is born.

Mental Processes Involved in Cognitive Development

a) Perception

Perception is the active process of interpreting information received from the senses. It means becoming aware of something through the five senses. It is our primary source of knowledge. Once a child gets information through his or her sensory organs it gets associated with prior information. The child then finds out the relationship between the two pieces of information. For example, when a child is fed a banana, he sees it, tastes it, smells it and feels it. With all these experiences he develops a perception of a banana, that is, a mental image of a banana.

Activity

Observe the following picture and discuss what you see?

How many slabs do you see? What do you see? An old woman or a young lady?

b) Thinking

Thinking consists of mental rearrangement or manipulation of information and symbols stored in the memory. The symbols used in thinking are words and mental images using all five senses. Thinking takes place even in the absence of an object. It is an abstract process. For example: What will I wear to the wedding?

c) Reasoning

Reasoning is a method of solving a problem based on a set of rules. It consists of making new judgments on the basis of existing ones. It includes the ability to generalize and to make deductions. Reasoning also involves analysis of cause and effect relationship, goal directed thinking and drawing conclusion from other information. For example:

There are dark clouds in the sky - Observation

Dark clouds signify rain - Reasoning

It is therefore likely to rain - Deduction

Teacher's Note

When a child sees rain clouds and says "It will rain, so we need an umbrella," this is reasoning. The child is using past experience to predict the future.

Exam Trick

Remember: Reasoning = seeing the connection. Dark clouds mean rain is coming. That is reasoning!

Points to Remember

Perception means seeing, hearing, and feeling things around you.
Thinking is when your brain works without seeing the real thing.
Reasoning means using rules to solve a problem.
All three help your brain grow and learn.
These processes happen every day in your life.

d) Memory

Memory is the process of storing information that can be retrieved whenever required or needed. It is the retention of what is learnt over a period of time. There are three basic processes on which memory is built: acquisition, storage and retrieval. Acquisition is translating information into a form in which the brain can process. The facts are then placed in the memory. For example: observing an apple and observing that it is red (acquisition).

Storage is the retention of memorized material over a period of time. The information is stored under different headings in different categories. Here the facts are retained in the memory. For example: Remembering that an apple is red (storage).

Retrieval is the process by which previously stored information is brought back for current use. Here the facts are recovered from storage. For example: Painting an apple red in colour as you remember (retrieval).

Teacher's Note

If you study your lesson today and remember it for the exam, that is memory. Your brain saved the information and gave it back to you.

Exam Trick

Remember: Acquisition = Input, Storage = File, Retrieval = Open the file. Like a computer!

Points to Remember

Memory has three parts: acquisition, storage, and retrieval.
Acquisition means learning something new.
Storage means keeping it in your brain.
Retrieval means remembering it when you need it.
Memory helps you learn and do better in school.

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