Have you heard of cognitive skills? If you are wondering what cognitive skills are, the simple answer is cognitive skills are the mental capabilities, which students need for successfully learning their subjects in schools. Learning in schools need students to effectively read, write, think, analyse, remember, solve, and understand. All these cognitive skills must come together to function effectively. The cognitive skills must be strong in students as when these skills are weak, students might begin to struggle.
The best schools in Beirut focus on developing the cognitive skills of students so that they don’t lag behind in the competition as they grow older. In order to grow ahead and master new skills, it is essential to develop cognitive skills first. Here’s a look at the main cognitive skills, which are essential for students:
- Logic
If the student doesn’t have the cognitive skill to logic and reason, their ability to solve, plan, analyse, comprehend, deduce, and prioritize can get affected. Teachers need to look for students who can’t decide what needs to be done next or don’t understand instructions. Students lacking logic skills lag behind in their academics in subjects such as Mathematics or comprehension activities. Such students should be engaged in logic and reasoning games as they are growing up.
- Concentration
Some students find it difficult to concentrate and pay attention throughout the class. They easily get distracted. The school and teachers need to help these students in improving their concentration and attention span. Watch out for such signs in students. The students must be taught to develop selective attention and how to ignore distractions and stay focused on the task. Teach students to develop divided attention for multitasking. This will help in developing highly functional cognitive skills. Practicing mindfulness a few times a week for children help in concentration.
- Processing Speed
Processing speed is the time taken by the mind to process information or command. It is the time between receiving information and reacting. If students have slower processing speed, the information will be lost in mind which makes it difficult to complete the task. Watch for these signs and train student’s brains to make solid connections and affirmative decisions.
- Auditory Perception
The ability to hear and understand what you heard is also an important cognitive skill. The students need to hear and understand clearly to differentiate between sounds for even reading and spelling words. If a student struggles with this, they may have issues with auditory perception, and their brain needs to be challenged by relevant activities.
