Early Learning Terms

A

Abstract Thinking

The ability to process ideas that are not concrete, enabling comprehension of complex concepts and hypothetical scenarios.

Active Learning

A hands-on, engaging approach to learning where children actively participate in activities.

Active Play

Physical activities that engage children in movement, exploration, and interaction with their environment.

Adaptability

The capacity to adjust to new environments, situations, or challenges with ease. Adaptability helps children navigate changes confidently and embrace new learning experiences.

Altruism

The selfless concern for the well-being of others, characterized by acts of kindness and empathy. Developing altruism in children develops compassion, social responsibility, and strong interpersonal relationships.

Articulation

The clarity and accuracy of speech sounds in verbal communication.

Attachment

The emotional bond formed between a child and their caregiver, essential for secure emotional development.

Attention Span

The duration a child can maintain focus on a task or activity.

Auditory Discrimination

The ability to differentiate between sounds, which is critical for language development.

Auditory Memory

The ability to hear, retain, and recall information presented through sound. This skill is essential for tasks like following verbal instructions, learning languages, and remembering spoken details.

Auditory Processing

How the brain interprets and makes sense of sound information.

Autonomy

The ability for children to make decisions and act independently, fostering self-confidence and responsibility.

B

Babbling

Early speech sounds made by infants as they explore vocalisation.

Balance

The ability to maintain stability while standing or moving.

Behavioral Cues

Signals, such as gestures or facial expressions, that communicate a child’s feelings or needs.

Bilateral Coordination

The ability to use both sides of the body together in a coordinated way.

Bilingual Development

The process of learning and using two languages during early childhood.

Bonding

The emotional connection between a caregiver and child that forms the foundation of trust.

Book Handling Skills

Early literacy abilities like turning pages and holding books correctly.

Brain Plasticity

The brain’s ability to reorganise and adapt in response to experiences and learning.

Building Blocks

Toys or objects used to develop fine motor skills, creativity, and problem-solving.

By-Heart Learning

Memorising information through repetition without understanding underlying concepts.

C

Cause and Effect

Understanding how one action leads to another.

Circle Time

A group activity involving interactive learning, storytelling, and discussions to develop social and listening skills.

Cognitive Development

The process of acquiring knowledge, problem-solving, and understanding.

Collaboration

The skill of working effectively with others toward a common goal, involving teamwork, cooperation, and the ability to share ideas and responsibilities.

Communication Skills

The ability to express thoughts, feelings, and ideas clearly and effectively through verbal, non-verbal, and written means. Communication skills also include active listening and understanding others’ perspectives.

Concept Formation

The process of understanding and categorizing information into meaningful groups.

Cooing

Early vocalisations by infants involving vowel-like sounds.

Crawling

A motor skill where infants move using hands and knees.

Creative Play

Activities that involve imagination and original thinking, such as building or drawing.

Critical Thinking

The ability to analyse facts, evaluate evidence, and form logical conclusions.

Cross-Modal Perception

The ability to integrate information from multiple senses, such as sight and touch.

Curiosity

A natural desire to explore and learn about new things.

D

Deep belly breathing

A calming technique using slow, deep breaths from the diaphragm to reduce stress and improve focus.

Deferred Attention

The capacity to return focus to a task after a distraction.

Deferred Imitation

Repeating actions observed earlier rather than immediately.

Dexterity Skills

The ability to perform precise movements, particularly with hands and fingers.

Developmental Milestones

Key achievements in growth, such as walking, talking, or fine motor skills.

Discovery Learning

A teaching method where children learn by exploring and solving problems independently.

Dramatic Play

Pretend play where children act out scenarios or roles.

Drawing Skills

The ability to create shapes and representations using tools like crayons or pencils.

Dual Language Learners

Children learning two languages either simultaneously or sequentially.

Dynamic Balance

The ability to maintain stability while moving.

Dyadic Interaction

Social interaction between two individuals, such as parent and child.

E

Early Math Concepts

Foundational ideas like counting, comparing, and understanding shapes.

Eidetic Image Memory

The ability to vividly recall visual images, often with remarkable detail, after only briefly seeing them. This skill is sometimes referred to as photographic memory.

Egocentric Thinking

A stage where children view the world primarily from their own perspective.

Emergent Literacy

Early skills that form the foundation for reading and writing, such as recognising letters.

Emotional Intelligence

The ability to understand, manage, and express emotions effectively.

Empathy Development

Learning to understand and share the feelings of others.

Enrichment

Activities or programs designed to enhance a child’s learning experience, encouraging intellectual, emotional, and creative growth beyond basic education.

Environmental Awareness

Recognition of and sensitivity to the natural and social environment.

ESP (Extra-Sensory Perception) Training

Activities designed to enhance intuitive skills, such as predicting outcomes or identifying objects without direct sensory input.

Executive Functioning Skills

Cognitive processes that enable planning, focus, memory retention, and self-control.

Experimental Learning

Acquiring knowledge through hands-on experiences and reflection.

Expressive Language

The ability to convey thoughts and ideas through speech, gestures, or signs.

Exploratory Play

Unstructured play where children investigate their surroundings.

Eye-muscle Training

Exercises designed to strengthen the muscles that control eye movement, improving focus, tracking, and coordination. These activities support reading and other visual tasks.

F

Face Recognition

The ability to identify and distinguish familiar faces.

Fast Mapping

The ability to quickly link a new word to its meaning after limited exposure.

Field of Vision

The total area a person can see when looking straight ahead, including peripheral vision without moving the eyes or head.

Fine Motor Skills

Coordination of small muscles for precise actions, such as writing or picking up small objects.

First Words

The initial spoken words that convey meaning in communication.

Flashcards

High-speed visual learning tools, used to stimulate the right brain, improve focus, and build quick recall abilities.

Focused Attention

Sustained concentration on a specific task or object.

Free Play

Unstructured, spontaneous play chosen by the child.

Frustration Tolerance

The capacity to manage feelings of frustration and persist through challenges.

Functional Play

Using objects in their intended ways, such as stacking blocks or rolling balls.

G

Gaze Following

Observing and following another person’s gaze to understand focus or intent.

Gestural Communication

Using gestures, such as pointing or waving, to express needs and intentions.

Golden Period

Refers to the first three years of a child’s life, during which their brain develops at an unparalleled rate. This phase is foundational to the Shichida Method.

Grasp Reflex

An infant’s instinct to grip objects placed in their palm.

Grasping Skills

The ability to hold and manipulate objects with the hands.

Gross Motor Skills

Large muscle movements used for activities like walking, running, and jumping.

Growth mindset

The belief that abilities and intelligence can be developed through effort, learning, and perseverance.

Growth Spurts

Rapid periods of physical growth in children.

Guided Play

Play activities facilitated by an adult to support learning objectives.

H

Habituation

The decreased response to a repeated stimulus over time.

Hand-Eye Coordination

The ability to coordinate visual input with hand movements for tasks like catching a ball.

Haptic Perception

The ability to understand objects through touch.

Hearing Discrimination

The ability to distinguish between different sounds and tones.

Heightened Information Processing

An enhanced ability to quickly process and understand information and text.

Helplessness Phase

A stage where infants depend entirely on caregivers for survival.

Holistic education

An approach to learning that focuses on developing the whole child – intellectually, emotionally, socially, physically and spiritually.

Holophrastic Speech

Single-word expressions used by toddlers to convey broader meanings.

I

Image Training

A mental exercise where vivid visualisations are used to practice or reinforce skills and concepts.

Imaginative Play

Activities where children use their creativity to role-play and invent scenarios.

Imitation

The ability to replicate observed actions, a key aspect of early learning.

Independent Play

Time spent by children engaging in activities without guidance from others.

Infant-Directed Speech

A type of speech characterized by higher pitch and exaggerated tones to capture an infant’s attention.

Initiative

The ability to start tasks and activities independently.

Intentional Communication

Deliberate attempts by children to express needs, thoughts, or feelings.

Intuition

The ability to understand or know something instinctively, without the need for conscious reasoning.

Intersensory Coordination

The integration of information from multiple senses for a cohesive experience.

J

Jargon Speech

Unintelligible strings of sounds resembling speech produced by toddlers.

Joint Attention

The shared focus of two or more individuals on the same object or activity.

Juggling Attention

The ability to shift focus between multiple tasks or stimuli.

K

Key Milestones

Important developmental achievements reached during growth.

Kicking Reflex

An automatic movement of the legs typically seen in infants.

Kinesthetic Learning

A style of learning that involves physical activities rather than passive listening.

Knowledge Construction

The process of building understanding and insights through experiences.

L

Language Acquisition

The natural process of learning and understanding language.

Lateralisation

The development of specialized functions in the brain’s left and right hemispheres.

Law of Diminishing Ability

A principle emphasising that as children grow older, their brain’s ability to absorb new information and develop certain skills decreases. It underscores the importance of starting early during the critical years of rapid brain development.

Learn Through Play

An educational approach where children develop skills and knowledge through engaging and enjoyable activities. This method encourages curiosity, creativity, and problem-solving by allowing children to explore and discover concepts in a natural, playful environment.

Learning Environment

A calm, focused atmosphere that minimizes distractions, promoting better concentration and engagement in activities.

Learning Foundations

Skills like language acquisition, emotional regulation, and problem-solving are established during the early years.

Letter Recognition

The ability to identify and distinguish between written letters.

Linguistic Mapping

The association of words with meanings during language development.

Listening Comprehension

The ability to understand spoken language.

Locomotion

Movement or the ability to move from one place to another.

Logical Thinking

The ability to analyse situations, identify patterns, and solve problems using reason and structured thought.

Love of learning

A deep curiosity and passion for acquiring knowledge and new skills throughout life.

M

Motor Imitation

The ability to copy movements observed in others.

Mirror Play

Activities involving mirrors to build self-awareness and recognition.

Memory Recall

The ability to retrieve information from memory.

Metacognitive Awareness

Understanding and regulating one’s own thinking and learning processes.

Mutual Gaze

Sustained eye contact between a caregiver and child, crucial for bonding.

Modeling

Demonstrating behaviors or actions for a child to imitate.

Motor Skills Development

The improvement of physical abilities involving both fine and gross motor movements.

Mouthing Objects

A sensory exploration behavior where infants place objects in their mouths.

Mnemonic memory

The ability to use techniques or associations to improve memory and recall information more effectively.

Mental mathematics

The ability to perform mathematical calculations in one’s mind without the use of tools or devices.

Music Appreciation

The recognition and enjoyment of musical elements, styles, and compositions, creating a deeper understanding of music.

Memory Linking

A technique that helps children remember complex information by associating it with a series of linked images or stories.

Mental Imaging

Visualisation exercises where children are encouraged to create mental pictures of objects, scenarios, or concepts to enhance their creativity and memory.

N

Naming Explosion

A rapid increase in vocabulary typically seen in toddlers.

Narrative Skills

The ability to tell and understand stories, aiding language and cognitive development.

Neuroplasticity

The brain is highly adaptable during the early years, meaning that learning new skills is easier and more impactful.

Nonverbal Communication

The use of gestures, facial expressions, and body language to convey meaning.

Nonverbal Cues

Signals communicated without words, such as facial expressions or gestures.

Nurturing Relationships

Supportive and caring connections that foster healthy development.

Numeracy Skills

Mathematical abilities, including counting, measuring, patterns and problem-solving.

O

Object Manipulation

The ability to handle and use objects effectively.

Object Permanence

Understanding that objects exist even when not visible.

Observational Learning

Learning by watching and imitating others.

Oral Language Development

The process of acquiring spoken language skills.

Overextension

Using a word too broadly to refer to unrelated objects.

Overimitation

Copying even unnecessary actions observed in others.

P

Parallel Play

When children play alongside others without directly interacting.

Parallel Processing Ability (Double Tasking)

The capacity to handle multiple tasks simultaneously with efficiency, cultivated through brain-training exercises.

Parent Participation

When parents actively engage in their child’s learning process to strengthen parent-child bonds and learning outcomes.

Parent-Child Bonding

Strengthening the emotional connection between parent and child through cooperative activities, creating a supportive foundation for lifelong learning.

Pattern Recognition

Identifying and predicting patterns in data or behavior.

Pencil Grip

The way a pencil is held, typically evolving through stages from a full-hand grasp to a refined tripod grip, which is ideal for writing and drawing with control and precision.

Perceptual Learning

Acquiring knowledge through sensory experiences.

Phonemic Awareness

The understanding of sounds and their role in forming words.

Photographic Memory

The ability to recall images, words, or numbers in great detail after seeing them only briefly.

Physical Development

Growth and changes in the body and its abilities over time.

Pincer Grasp

The ability to hold small objects using the thumb and forefinger.

Play-Guided Learning

A structured form of play where educators or parents guide activities to achieve specific developmental or educational goals. This method combines the joy of play with intentional teaching, fostering both fun and focused skill-building.

Pretend Play

Role-playing activities that encourage creativity and social skills.

Problem Solving

The ability to identify, analyze, and resolve issues or challenges.

Q

Quantitative Skills

The capacity to understand and use numbers effectively.

Questioning Behavior

The natural curiosity expressed by asking questions.

Quick Mapping

The ability to form rapid associations between words and their meanings.

Quiet Play

Calm activities like puzzles or reading that allow for focused engagement.

R

Rapid Brain Development

By age six, a child’s brain reaches about 90% of its adult size, making the early learning period crucial for shaping cognitive and emotional abilities.

Receptive Language

The ability to understand and process spoken language.

Reciprocal Interaction

A back-and-forth exchange of actions or communication.

Reflexive Movements

Automatic responses to stimuli, common in newborns.

Resilience

The mental toughness to recover quickly from setbacks and persist in the face of challenges, built through confidence-boosting activities.

Rhyme Recognition

Identifying similar sounds in words, aiding phonological awareness.

Right-Brain Education

A foundational concept of the Shichida Method, focusing on the right hemisphere of the brain, responsible for creativity, visualisation, memory, and intuition.

Role-Play

Acting out scenarios to build empathy and social understanding.

Rote Counting

Reciting numbers in order without understanding their meaning.

Rule Learning

Understanding and applying rules in structured tasks or games.

S

Scribbling

Early drawing or writing attempts by children, often a precursor to writing.

Self-Concept

A child’s understanding and perception of themselves.

Self-Regulation

The ability to manage emotions, behavior, and attention in different situations.

Sensory Development

The maturation of the senses, including sight, sound, touch, taste, and smell.

Sensory Exploration

Using the senses to learn about and interact with the environment.

Sensory Play

Interactive activities that engage multiple senses, helping young children develop fine motor skills, focus, and sensory processing abilities.

Sensory Stimulation

Techniques used to activate and integrate a child’s sensory systems (sight, sound, touch, taste, and smell) to enhance learning and brain development.

Sequencing

The ability to arrange events, actions, or objects in a logical order.

Shared Attention

A social interaction where two individuals focus on the same object or activity.

Shichida Method

A whole-brain training approach designed to nurture children’s cognitive, emotional, and social abilities through playful, parent-involved activities, focusing on early development and lifelong learning skills.

Social-Emotional Development

The growth of interpersonal skills, self-awareness, and emotional regulation.

Sorting

Grouping objects based on shared characteristics, such as color or shape.

Speech Perception

The ability to hear and interpret speech sounds.

Speed Reading

The ability to quickly read and comprehend text by minimizing subvocalization and improving focus and scanning techniques.

Symbolic Play

Using objects, actions, or ideas to represent other objects, actions, or ideas during play.

T

Tactile Learning

Learning through physical touch and manipulation of objects.

Tantrum Behavior

Intense emotional outbursts often seen in young children as they navigate emotions and frustration.

Task Persistence

The ability to stay focused and continue working on a task despite challenges.

Temperament

A child’s natural disposition and personality traits that influence their behavior.

Tracking Objects

Visually following moving objects, important for developing visual skills.

Turn-Taking

Sharing interactions or resources in a sequential manner, essential for social communication.

Two-Word Sentences

Simple phrases formed by combining two words, a common milestone in language development.

U

Understanding Emotions

Recognizing, labeling, and comprehending feelings in oneself and others.

Undirected Play

Play that is not guided or structured by adults, encouraging autonomy and imagination.

Unstructured Play

Free playtime that allows for creativity and self-directed exploration.

Utterances

Spoken words, phrases, or sounds used in communication.

V

Verbal Expression

The use of words to communicate thoughts, needs, and emotions.

Verbal Fluency

The ability to produce words easily and coherently during speech.

Visual Perception

The ability to interpret and make sense of visual stimuli.

Visualisation

Using imagination to picture ideas or stories, strengthens creativity and problem-solving.

Vocalization

Sounds made by infants and young children as they develop language skills.

Voluntary Grasp

The intentional ability to hold objects with the hands.

Vocabulary Growth

The expansion of a child’s word knowledge and ability to use language effectively.

W

Walking

A critical gross motor milestone that typically occurs in early toddlerhood.

Whole-Brain Training

A unique approach that develops both the left (logical) and right (creative) hemispheres of the brain to nurture balanced growth and enhance a child’s learning potential.

Whole Object Assumption

A cognitive bias where children assume words refer to entire objects rather than parts or features.

Word Combinations

The ability to combine words to create simple phrases or sentences.

Word Recognition

The ability to identify written or spoken words quickly and accurately.

Working Memory

The ability to temporarily hold and manipulate information for cognitive tasks.

X

Cross-Modal Transfer

The ability to transfer information between senses, such as associating a visual cue with a tactile sensation.

Y

Yielding Behaviors

Actions showing compliance or deference in social interactions.

Yoking Attention

Coordinating attention with others, such as following a caregiver’s gaze to an object.

Z

Zig-Zag Motion

A crawling pattern often observed during early physical development.

Zipping Skills

The ability to manipulate zippers, a fine motor skill essential for self-care.

Zone of Proximal Development (ZPD)

The range of tasks a child can perform with guidance but not independently, highlighting potential for growth.