<![CDATA[This study examined the relationship between cognitive ability and scientific attitude among children aged 4–5 years attending a science extracurricular program at PAUD Islam Makarima Kartasura, Sukoharjo. Preliminary observations indicated that the children’s scientific attitude, particularly critical thinking, curiosity, and sensitivity to the surroundings, remained limited. A quantitative correlational design was employed. The population consisted of 34 children, and 32 were selected through simple random sampling using the Slovin’s formula. Cognitive ability was assessed with a performance test based on the learning and problem-solving scope of Indonesian Ministerial Regulation No. 137 of 2014, while scientific attitude was measured by a 30-item teacher-completed questionnaire grounded in Harlen’s six dimensions. After a normality test, the hypothesis was tested using Pearson product-moment correlation in SPSS 26. The mean cognitive score was 19.72 (SD = 2.703), with 62% of children in the Beginning to Develop category and 38% in Developing as Expected. The mean scientific attitude score was 82.16 (SD = 9.194), with 56% Beginning to Develop and 44% Developing as Expected. The correlation coefficient was r = 0.878 (p < 0.001), indicating a very strong positive relationship; approximately 77% of the variance in scientific attitude was shared with cognitive ability. As the design is correlational, the result does not establish causation, and the influence of teachers, home stimulation, and age should be considered. The findings suggest that science activities for young children should train observation, classification, and reasoning together with attitudes such as asking questions and checking results. Keyword : Cognitive ability, scientific attitude, early childhood, correlation, science education.]]>
