Author: Ciraldo, Brandy

Reading can build social/emotional skills too!

Did you know that reading stories with kids can help build social/emotional skills, in addition to vocabulary and literacy skills?
While reading a story, discuss the social and emotional themes in the story. What is the character feeling and why?
These conversations can help build emotional intelligence and social awareness, says an article in the Journal of Reserach for Child Education, which has contribution from UConn KIDS Researcher Beth Russell. Read the article by clicking here.
 

Babies Mental Health Matters!

Many people don’t consider infants and babies when it comes to thinking about “mental health” perhaps because they may believe babies have only a small amount of mental activity. But every experience, every day is shaping babies mental health…just like everyday experiences and stressors impact older individuals’ mental health.

“As babies, the way we are held, talked to, and cared for teaches us about who we are and how we are valued. “

Read this article to find out more about how mental health is shaped from infancy.

UConn KIDS partners with CT Science Center’s “Living Lab”!

UConn KIDS researchers will be visiting the CT Science Center on Sunday April 17th to work with child visitors on fun cognitive experiments.

This is part of an initiative called The Living Laboratory, which runs at museums all across the nation.

It’s a great way for kids to see what it’s like to get involved in a research study, learn more about the scientific process, and get inspired about the psychological sciences!

Join UConn KIDS at the CT Science Centers Living lab on April 17th between 11 and 2pm!

Words and the brain!

How does the brain make meaning out of a bunch of letters combined to make words?

By combining technology such as eye tracking and fMRI, researchers are able to gain more detailed understanding of how the brain processes words and meaning!

Read more here!

Studies about cochlear implants for children

Researchers at UConn are currently conducting studies with children that have received cochlear implants. With the increases in screening and technologies,  interventions such as these implants can help prevent longer term deficits in language and cognitive abilities.

Professor Laura Mauldin published her first book entitled, “Made To Hear”.

The book is based on an ethnography of a cochlear implant (CI) clinic and examines the use of CIs in deaf children, the role of neuroscience in the culture of intervention around deafness, and how mothers are expected to adopt CIs for their deaf child. Published by the University of Minnesota Press (2016).