Cognitive skills are the unseen foundation for all learning.  Individual cognitive skills are what we measure, then combine and average to determine a general IQ score.  Cognitive skills are what every individual uses to process, categorize and make sense out of what we see, hear, taste, smell, and touch. We put our cognitive skills to use every time we try to remember a fact, directions, or a person's name.  In short, our cognitive skills are the tools we use to handle every bit of information we encounter throughout our life. Take a look at A Comprehensive Learning Graphic for a graphic illustration of the role cognitive skills play in learning. 

Everyone has cognitive abilities, but not everyone's cognitive abilities are the same. There are some innate differences that separate the potential of a Mozart from that of a recreational musician.  While it is accurate to understand that some innate differences in potential are fixed, cognitive abilities are generally modifiable. People can improve their cognitive capacity, speed and accuracy.  When they do, everything that relies on those cognitive abilities gets easier, faster and more efficient.  That is especially true of learning. To examine the case for weak cognitive skills being the main barrier to learning consider the paper Causes and Symptoms.

Processing Speed...

This is simply how fast your brain can compute.  It is the by-product of physical and neurological conditions that can be exercised and strengthened in much the same way a muscle group can be strengthened, made more flexible, and trained to flex or contract more quickly. For further study on the impact on cognitive skill in general and processing speed refer to the following articles:  Cognitive Rehabilitation and Exercising the Brain.

Visual Processing...

This is how you deal with incoming visual data.  How do you recognize shapes, sizes, colors, and orientation?  How do your discriminate between similar shapes (such as reading p, b, d, q)?  How quickly and firmly do you associate a visual image, shape, or picture with a previously learned concept?  The answer to these questions is an indication of the efficiency of your visual processing skills.  For more information on the role visualization plays in comprehension and learning check out Visualize/Verbalize.  To experience first hand the difficulties faced by a student with poor visual processing skills look at an article featuring Thomas: a Student's Eye View, or a paper entitled Struggling to Read. Another common problem in reading, Dyslexia, is a product of poor visual processing and can be addresses through the right training. 

Working Memory...

Can you read a phone number from the phone book then look away and dial it accurately?  Simply to attempt such a thing requires that you engage your working memory.  Can you do a multiplication problem in your head and "carry over" the remainders accurately.  If so, you are using your working memory.  Working memory holds newly acquired information while related processing tasks are activated.  It must retrieve the information at the appropriate time, in spite of distractions.  If your working (or short-term) memory is strong, these tasks will be easy, even bordering on being subconscious, but if your working memory is poor, you will struggle, hesitate, and work inefficiently.  For more information read Improving Memory, or examine a Modern Memory Model.

Logic and Reasonin...

When confronted with a choice between choosing two lengths of screws to assemble a shelf, can you easily choose the best length?  If you can, you engaged your capacity to problem solve nonverbal "puzzles" with logic and reasoning skills. Logic and reasoning skills conceive and compare options and eventualities.  These skills enable you to plan and strategize.  They are essential to learning.

Auditory Processing...

If your name is Craig, do you notice that some people accurately repeat your name after introductions and others call you Greg?  You are witnessing auditory processing in action.  Their ability to accurately hear, analyze, segment, and blend the "cr" and "ai" sounds, and not to misinterpret them as "gr" and "e" sounds is the work of their auditory processing skills. Beyond the simple inconvenience of misstating or mishearing words, poor auditory processing is a major hindrance to reading and learning.  Consider this paper entitled Auditory Processing Problems, by Sandra Cleveland.

Long-Term Memory...

Your long-term memory stores and indexes all of what you see, hear, feel, taste and smell.  It is called upon to produce data for comparison with new incoming information. Without long-term memory, you have no previously gained meaning to attach to incoming data. It allows knowledge to accumulate, and your current learning to happen in a meaningful context.

Comprehension...

Your comprehension skill links new things you see, hear, touch, taste, or smell with familiar memories or concepts.  Without your comprehension skill functioning properly, every new learning experience would be in a vacuum without recognizable context. When comprehension skills are high, you can accelerate learning by creating rapid, accurate links between known and newly learned information.

Attention Skills...

Attention capacity is also known as an ability to focus, to overcome distractions, to follow instructions, or to stay on task.  Attention skills can be trained and enhanced.  Tiger Woods' father rattled keys, cleared his throat, and banged his clubs while the young Tiger was preparing to make his golf shots.  In this way, Earl Woods was training his young son's attention skills.  It worked for Tiger.  It can work for others.

Consider the following activities and the underlying skills required to effectively execute these tasks. You will see how important strong underlying cognitive skills are to learning and everyday life.

Studying History:  Visual Processing, Auditory Processing, Long-Term Memory, Comprehension

Math Word Problems:  Working Memory, Visual Processing, Auditory Processing Logic and Reasoning, Comprehension

Playing Cards:  Working Memory, Logic and Reasoning, Visual Processing, Long-Term Memory.

Driving a Car:  Visual Processing, Attention Skills, Processing Speed

Writing a Letter: Logic and Reasoning, Auditory Processing, Visual Processing, Comprehension

Reading a Map:  Visual Processing, Logic and Reasoning, Working Memory

Learning to Read: Auditory Processing, Visual Processing, Working Memory, Long-Term Memory

Assembling a Puzzle:  Visual Processing, Logic and Reasoning, and Working Memory

See these activities and more tied to cognitive skills in the graphic Underlying Skills and Everyday Activities.