As the school year approaches, many parents in Columbus and Dublin, Ohio, want to feel confident in their ability to support their children’s learning. While school supplies and academic review are important, helping children develop cognitive skills such as attention, memory, processing speed, and reasoning can make them feel more prepared and capable in the classroom.
Cognitive skills are the thinking skills the brain uses to learn, remember, process information, and make connections. These skills support many areas of learning, including reading, comprehension, math, and classroom participation.
🎒 Cognitive Skills Children Use Every Day at School
👀Attention: Staying Focused and Engaged
Attention helps children stay focused during lessons, follow instructions, and complete tasks despite distractions.
Children use attention when they:
- Listen to teacher directions
- Focus on assignments
- Stay engaged during activities
🧠Memory: Remembering and Using Information
Memory helps children retain information and use what they have learned during classroom activities.
Children use memory when they:
- Remember instructions
- Recall information from lessons
- Complete multi-step tasks
âš¡Processing Speed: Working Through Information
Processing speed helps children take in information, think through tasks, and respond during learning activities.
Children use processing speed when they:
- Complete assignments
- Read and understand information
- Respond to questions
🔎 Reasoning: Solving Problems and Making Connections
Reasoning helps children analyze information, recognize patterns, and work through challenges.
Children use reasoning when they:
- Solve problems
- Understand new concepts
- Make connections between ideas
🎲Everyday Activities That Support Cognitive Skill Practice
Learning does not only happen at a desk. Many everyday activities naturally involve thinking skills through play and daily routines.
🎲Board Games engage planning, attention, memory, and flexible thinking.
📚Reading Together supports comprehension, vocabulary, and remembering information.
🧩 Puzzles and Building Activities encourage problem-solving and visual thinking.
🎨Creative Activities
encourage focus, imagination, and flexible thinking.
Families in Columbus can also explore reading programs and educational resources through the Columbus Metropolitan Library.
🧠Supporting Learning Beyond Academics
Returning to school involves more than reviewing academic subjects. Children use cognitive skills every day to listen, remember information, follow directions, complete assignments, and solve problems.
At LearningRx Columbus-Dublin, we work one-on-one to support cognitive skills related to learning, including:
- Attention
- Memory
- Processing speed
- Reasoning
Understanding the cognitive skills involved in learning can help parents better understand their child’s learning strengths and areas where additional support may be helpful.
🎯Discover How Your Child Learns
Every child learns differently. A cognitive skills assessment can help identify your child’s thinking strengths and weaknesses and provide insight into the skills involved in learning.