Cognition
Week 67
We have the ability to know right from wrong
Cognitive skills, or cognitive abilities, are the ways that your brain remembers, reasons, holds attention, solves problems, thinks, reads, and learns. Logic and reasoning skills help you solve problems and generate ideas. This cognitive ability is part of the preciousness of our humanity. God has endowed us with the ability to think logically well beyond any animal. There is a huge gulf between our cognition and that of animals. Animals mostly live by instinct and inborn behaviors.
Point to emphasize
A young child (19 months) knows that it is wrong to steal or to lie.
Sample content and conversation with children
- We have been discovering how God made us so differently than the animals. Now we will discover that God made us with a marvelous brain that is so far above any animal’s brain.
- At an early age, we begin to know what’s right and what’s wrong.
- Let’s play a game! I am going to call it the “right or wrong” game. I will read you some activities. If you think it is right, give me a thumbs up with a happy face! If it is wrong, give me a thumbs down with a sad face. Ready? Let’s begin!
- Eating all the vegetables your mother gave you
- Eating playdoh
- Coloring on a piece of paper
- Coloring the walls
- Ripping the pages of a book
- Looking at books
- Talking with mommy in a pleasant way
- Interrupting mommy when she is talking to someone
- Knocking down someone’s blocks
- Picking up the toys after playing
- Crossing the street alone
- Looking both ways when crossing the street with your dad
- Helping mom load the washer machine
- Touching the hot stove
- Grabbing a toy away from someone else
- Taking turns when going down the slide at the park
- You are all so smart! How it is that even three and four-year-olds are able to tell what’s right and what’s wrong? Because God created you this way! You all know what is right and what is wrong!
- Animals can’t tell what’s right and what’s wrong. They were not created in the same way we were created. Now, let’s watch the video of some eagles together. [Show video #1. Have a conversation with the children while you show the video. Some eagles are hunting for their fish and another eagle comes in and steals their fish. Eagles can’t tell what they are doing is wrong. But we were created VERY differently than the eagles. We know what the eagle is doing is plain wrong.]
- Even when you are this young, you know what is right and what is wrong! And as you grow older, you will learn more and more about what is right and what is wrong. It is really good to know the difference between what is good and what is wrong. How about if we all say together, “Thank you God for creating me this way! I know what is wrong and what is right!”
Songs
God made me
Suggested game
Simon says: Stand up, Jump, March, Hands on your shoulders, Jump 3 times, Clap your hands, Turn around, Raise your right hand, Raise your left hand, Raise both arms, Touch your toes, Do two jumping jacks, Touch your ears, Close your eyes, Open your mouth, Smile
Video
#1: Eagle stealing fish from other eagles
(https://www.youtube.com/embed/ZCjSTzLgxRs?rel=0)