Basket
COGNITIVE DEVELOPMENT
This period is the preoperational period. The symbolic operation period is between 3-4 years old and the intuitive period is between 4-6 years old. The child is egocentric during this period. They play symbolic, constructive, solitary, parallel, and cooperative games. They can make one-way classifications. They engage in collective monologue. They can tell stories about their experiences. They have imaginary friends and can play games using their imagination. They exhibit animism, believing that moving objects are alive (they cannot distinguish between living and non-living things).
RECOMMENDATIONS FOR FAMILIES
• Parents should not interfere with the child's play.
• If necessary, parents should talk to their child one-on-one after playtime.
• They should discuss the characteristics of events and objects, and introduce objects from multiple angles.
• Parents should listen to their child's speech and give them opportunities to express themselves verbally.
• They should introduce the concepts of living and non-living things to their child and explain why they are categorized as such.
• Having imaginary friends does not necessarily indicate any developmental or psychological problems. Imaginary friends can help children express themselves. Parents should not ridicule their child, ignore them, or distract their attention away from them.
LANGUAGE DEVELOPMENT
During this period, the child is egocentric, but their communication skills have improved compared to the previous stage. They may not fully understand terms, idioms, cause-and-effect relationships, or temporal relationships. The development of language progresses in parallel with the amount of stimuli present during this stage.
RECOMMENDATIONS FOR FAMILIES
• During this stage, parents should pay close attention to the language of stimuli that contribute to their child's language development. For example, they should ensure that the speech in the cartoons their child watches on TV is appropriate.
• Parents should use proper Turkish words and sentences when speaking to their child and avoid speaking in dialects.
• They should expose their child to music and dance with them.
• Parents should listen to their child and gently correct any linguistic mistakes they make.
• When speaking to their child, parents should express their own feelings and ask about their child's feelings. These types of conversations contribute to the child's communication skills.