Know

作为一个成年人，你已经发展了许多思维能力，帮助你驾驭你周围的世界。想想那些帮助你在日常工作中取得成功的技能和策略，比如：

• Reading and following the recipe for a new meal
• 在交通拥挤的情况下寻找另一条回家的路
• 估计家装项目所需材料的数量
• Finishing a book and discussing it with friends
• Filling out a job application
• Fixing a leaking faucet or pipe
• Budgeting for groceries and other essentials

What thinking skills helped with these kinds of tasks? Reading, writing, measuring, calculating, problem-solving, hypothesis testing, comprehending, and recalling facts all are essential for many of the tasks you accomplish every day. You started developing those skills as a child, and they continue to develop as you encounter new situations as an adult. This course will help you understand how your work contributes to the development of thinking skills in the school-age children you serve.

What is Cognitive Development?

Cognitive development is all about learning. When a school-age child solves a math problem, that's cognitive development; when a school-age child questions something she has read, that's cognitive development; and when a school-age child makes a snack or learns to knit, that's cognitive development. Cognitive development happens all the time and is influenced by both our genes and our experiences.

道奇、科尔克和赫罗曼（2002）认为，“认知发展指的是大脑及其运作方式。它涉及到孩子们如何思考，如何看待自己的世界，以及如何运用所学知识。大脑是随着时间而建立的，每一次经历都会影响生长发育。虽然遗传学很重要，但基因和经验之间的相互作用是当今研究的焦点。

科学家们不再争论哪一个是最重要的，遗传学还是经验；同样的道理，哪一个发育领域是最重要的。所有的发展领域都是重要的，它们之间有着千丝万缕的联系。斯坦福大学的卡罗尔·德威克说：“我们不能把人一分为二，没有认知的人，没有情感的人，没有动机的人，没有社交的人。所有这些共同发生在大脑中”（Galinsky，2010）。

狗万app怎么下载学习既是个人的，也是社会的，是在社会和文化背景下进行的。当孩子们健康、情绪稳定、与社会有联系时，认知发展就会加强。积累负面经验的孩子一生都会受到这些影响。换句话说，经历会持续一生。

The Importance of Childhood and Early Adolescence

Brains are built over time, and each experience affects growth and development. Outside of their families and their teachers at school, you might be the person they spend the most time with during these critical years of development. It is your job to make sure:

• They are healthy by keeping a clean environment and promoting healthy habits
• 他们尊重学龄期间发生的强烈情感变化，并提供始终如一的养育支持，从而在情感上有安全感
• 他们通过在校外培养他们与他人之间的关系来建立社会联系

Remember that while you are helping settle an argument over a basketball game, preheating the oven for a cooking activity, building a model airplane, and performing all of the other tasks you do on a daily basis; you are also influencing a developing brain.

看到了吗

The experiences you provide every day matter. Take a look at all the ways school-age children are learning in your programs.

认知发展：你改变了

Do

学龄儿童在结构化的学校环境中度过他们的日子。你的课程可以为学龄儿童提供一个与他人联系的空间，探索他们自己的兴趣，发现新的技能，并以有趣的方式应用他们的知识。它还可以为他们提供所需的时间和空间来处理他们所学的一切。花点时间回顾一下下面列出的策略，这些策略强调了在你的项目中支持学龄儿童和青少年认知发展的方法：狗万app怎么下载

• Provide a variety of materials that capture children's interest and provide a challenge. Model airplanes, jigsaw puzzles, musical instruments, woodworking, and crafts can all provide chances for school-agers to exercise cognitive skills.
• Make sure plenty of books and writing materials are available. Provide interesting, age-appropriate fiction and non-fiction. Also provide reference materials that children can use to research topics that interest them. Provide a comfortable, quiet space for reading and writing.
• Use age-appropriate technology with adult supervision. School-age children can play games on the computer, learn to write code, and use the internet to research interests.
• Give school-agers a sense of ownership. Involve them in making decisions about changes to the facilities (e.g., what plants to grow in the lobby, whether to build an outdoor stage, etc.). Provide authentic responsibilities like caring for plants and cleaning up program spaces.

Completing this Course

For more information on what to expect in this course, the Cognitive Development能力反思，并列出随附的学习、探索和应用课程中提供的资源和活动，访问学龄期认知发展Course Guide.

Please note the References & Resources section at the end of each lesson outlines reference sources and resources to find additional information on the topics covered. As you complete lessons, you are not expected to review all the online references available. However, you are welcome to explore the resources further if you have interest, or at the request of your trainer, coach, or administrator.