Whether your child is preparing for gifted testing, private school admissions, kindergarten screening, or simply starting school, there are certain foundational skills that help children succeed both on assessments and in the classroom.
The good news is that these abilities can be developed naturally through everyday conversations, play, reading, and family activities. You don’t need expensive materials or hours of formal instruction. Small moments throughout the day can make a big difference.
Here are seven important skills every child should be building:
1. Strong Language and Vocabulary Skills
One of the best things you can do for your child’s cognitive development is talk with them – a lot.
Ask questions, discuss your day, explain how things work, and encourage your child to share ideas and opinions. Rich conversations help children build vocabulary, comprehension, reasoning, and verbal expression skills that are measured by many gifted and school-readiness assessments.
2. General Knowledge and Concept Development
Children entering kindergarten and early elementary grades are often expected to understand basic concepts such as:
- Colors
- Shapes
- Seasons
- Animals
- Community helpers
- Opposites
- Categories
- Weather
- Body parts
Reading picture books, visiting museums, exploring nature, and discussing the world around them helps children build this important foundation of knowledge.
3. Memory Skills
Many cognitive and achievement tests include activities that require children to remember information.
You can strengthen their memory by asking questions after reading together:
- What happened first?
- What happened next?
- Who was your favorite character?
- Can you retell the story in your own words?
Simple games like “I Went to the Store” or memory-matching games can also help build working memory.
4. Early Math and Number Sense
Math begins long before children learn multiplication tables.
Look for opportunities to discuss:
- Counting
- Patterns
- Comparing quantities
- Measurement
- Time
- Fractions
- Money
For example:
- “You have three grapes. If I give you two more, how many will you have?”
- “Would you like a whole sandwich or half a sandwich?”
- “How many minutes until dinner?”
These conversations help children develop strong quantitative reasoning skills.
5. Visual-Spatial and Construction Skills
Many gifted and cognitive assessments measure visual-spatial reasoning—the ability to see patterns, relationships, and how objects fit together.
Encourage your child to play with:
- Blocks
- LEGO® bricks
- Magna-Tiles®
- Puzzles
- Lincoln Logs®
- Building sets
These activities strengthen problem-solving, creativity, and spatial reasoning.
6. Problem-Solving Skills
Children learn critical thinking when they are allowed to solve everyday problems.
Instead of immediately providing answers, ask:
- “What do you think we should do?”
- “Can you think of another way?”
- “How could we solve that problem?”
Whether a toy is stuck under the couch or a tower keeps falling down, problem-solving opportunities are everywhere.
7. Creativity and Flexible Thinking
Creative thinking is a valuable skill for school, testing, and life.
Keep art supplies, building materials, and open-ended toys available. Encourage your child to invent stories, create artwork, design structures, and explore new ideas.
Activities that promote imagination help children develop flexible thinking, innovation, and confidence in their own ideas.
How TestingMom.com Can Help
At TestingMom.com, we’ve spent years helping families build the skills measured on gifted and talented tests, private school admissions assessments, and school readiness evaluations.
With over 450,000 practice questions, interactive learning activities, online tutoring, and skill-building resources, families can strengthen vocabulary, memory, reasoning, math concepts, problem-solving, and critical-thinking skills in a fun, engaging way.
The goal isn’t simply to prepare for a test. It’s to help children develop the foundational abilities that support lifelong learning and academic success.
Remember, the most powerful learning opportunities often happen during everyday moments. Talk, read, play, explore, and learn together—and you’ll be building skills that benefit your child for years to come.
Tell us about your experiences