1. Intellectual development really does start with the basics.
Babies begin their intellectual development much sooner than many of us suspect. Certain reflexive behaviors that babies do over and over in the early months of life, like sucking, holding onto objects of varying size and density, kicking at things and even simply reaching for things are all signs of intellectual development, according to scientist and developmental theorist Jean Piaget.
2. As children get older and they create their own forms of play, they grow cognitively.
In a later stage of childhood, post-infancy, children seem to develop an intuitive sense of self. By the age of 7, children are capable of self-regulation and self-discipline, thanks to their developing senses of social interaction; make-believe play and private speech help further such intellectual development.
3. School-age children who miss a lot of school may be stunting their intellectual development.
Occasional absences happen to every child, but chronic illness, or any other reason that keeps a youngster out of the classroom, can negatively impact intellectual development. Some researchers say that there are actual biochemical side effects due to the reduced amount of social interactions with other students and teachers.
4. Children can experience intellectual development in eight different ways.
When all eight neural pathways in children are used, various forms of stimuli travel and encourage cognitive growth. The eight neural pathways comprise all five senses (touch, smell, taste, sight, hearing), as well as the effects of temperature, pain and positioning. Children at all stages of development learn quickly when all eight areas are stimulated at once.
5. Children who earn low grades do not necessarily have low intellectual functioning.
Fortunately, intellectual development is vastly different from academic development; learning and perfecting academic tasks involve a completely different skill set. Children can spend hours a day learning how to think and interpret experiences, analyze observations and put it all together into a highly complicated memory--this type of processing reflects a child's intellectual development much more accurately than grades.
