https://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=ted+talk+child+development

Anne Frenald’s Ted Talk “Why Talking To Little Kids Matters” discusses the importance of conversation in language development amongst young children. While it is quite common for parents to engage in “baby talk” with their children, Frenald emphasizes the importance of quality conversation between parents and their young children. Both the amount of words and the quality of conversation between parent and child can have a significant impact on a child’s cognitive development.

The most effective way to combine both a variety of words and a high quality language interactions is through simple and engaging conversations. Rather than exposing children passively to new language through TV or radio, Frenald suggests that direct interactions between parents and their children is the most effective way to help children develop a stronger understanding of language.

Some benefits of these conversations suggested by parents include an improved understanding of their native tongue, increased development in cognitive skills, and improved social skills.

The answer to last weeks Trivia Tuesday was the Concrete Operational Stage. This is the period of development where children begin to form a true sense of empathy. Children achieve this state of being partially through decentration which allows children to consider multiple perspectives regarding a situation.

This weeks Trivia Tuesday question is… At what age does Eriksons psychosocial crisis of autonomy vs care occur

A. 3-5 years

B. 65+ years

C. 5-13 years

D. 1.5-3 years

Investing in additional programs other than traditional schooling is a thought that crosses many parents and caregivers minds. Should I send my child to a childcare facility before preschool to help them socialize with peers? How important is it that I select a quality preschool for my child to attend? These are questions that many parents ask themselves and as a whole, according to Duncan et. al the results are mixed.

While Duncan and his colleagues do determine that early childhood programs do play a role in helping children maximize their potential, the means in which they achieve this end remain unclear. The article concludes that it still remains unknown what methods and programs work for specific children and why those programs work. The author poses that econometric methods could be used in order to answer these key questions. Overall, there is still plenty of work to be done in order to determine which programs work and why, however it can be concluded that as a whole these programs prove quite consequential in the outcomes of childhood development.

https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S1574069222000058

https://journals.plos.org/plosone/article?id=10.1371/journal.pone.0151729

Sports have become an absolute staple in many American children’s childhood. Whether it’s playing soccer in preschool, little league baseball over the summer, or high school football on a crisp Friday night, sports are an extremely common activity for children of all ages to engage with. With youth sports being such a fixture in American culture, one may ponder the psychological effects that youth sports have on childhood development. Researchers Christina Felfe, Michael Lechner, and Andreas Steinmayr explore this very question in their article on this phenomenon titled “Sports and Child Development”.

The good news for parents whose children engage in youth sports is that the effects on development are primarily positive. While some obvious positive effects of engaging in youth sports such as in increase in physical health and motor skills may immediately come to mind, the effects of an increase in self esteem and better communication skills are also positive effects of youth sports participation. However, negative drawbacks to exist within the context of youth sports such as the often unnecessary pressure children face in these environments that are often the result of parental overstepping.

Fortunately, as a whole youth sports assists in children meeting developmental milestones and for the most part have a positive effect on children’s psychological development. 

 

Jay Schieffelin is a research assistant for UConn KIDS. He is a senior Psychological Sciences major with a minor in Crime and Justice. After graduation he plans on attending graduate school to eventually pursue a doctorate in psychology and work with criminals.

In his free time Jay enjoys watching football, exploring nature, working out, and spending time with his friends and lovely girlfriend

The answer to last weeks Trivia Tuesday was… Neural Plasticity! This term refers to the brains ability to change its structure and function. Individuals typically experience their highest levels of Neural Plasticity during early childhood.

When people are reading a list of words, they are more likely to remember the first few words when compared to words found in the middle or end of the list. What effect describes this phenomenon?

A. The Recency Effect

B. The Primacy Effect

C. The “First in Order” Effect

D. The Original Effect

Comeback next week for the correct answer!

 

 

 

 

 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gIZ8PkLMMUo

There are quite a wide array of factors that are important in influencing childhood development. While an argument could be made for which of these factors is the “most” influential, Tom Weisner poses the thought that location is of the upmost importance regarding a child’s development. He goes on to elaborate on a number of factors that are heavily influenced by the location in which a child is raised such as financial stability, social settings, religious beliefs, and many other aspects of life.

Weisner discusses the concept of WEIRD (Western, Educated, Industrialized, Rich, and Democratic) societies throughout his talk and provides examples of multiple differences between “WEIRD” and “non-WEIRD” societies. While Weisner does not necessarily say one type of society is “better” than the other, however, he does discuss a number of privileges often afforded to children amongst WEIRD societies. For example, despite only 12% of the world being considered as “WEIRD”, 90% of research within the field of psychology takes place within these WEIRD societies. This means that the vast majority of advancements made within the field of psychology are based on and likely more applicable to WEIRD cultures.

One interesting aspect of non WEIRD communities that Weisner highlights is the emphasis on collaboration. Weisner goes on to elaborate on how non WEIRD societies and civilizations are less focused on individualism and place a higher degree of emphasis on community. It is common for child care to be more socially distributed amongst these groups i.e parents play less of an influence on a child’s development as it is more common for extended family members and members of the community to play a major role in the raising of a child.

Towards the end of his TED Talk, Weisner makes a simple yet profound statement on just how important location is in a child’s growth. While wrapping up his thoughts on his primary claim regarding this belief and discussing a variety of communities, Weisner poses the question, “What kind of child is considered desirable and morally important in that community?” This concise statement perfectly wraps up Weisners theory in a powerful manner by contrasting what is valued amongst different societies. A child with traits that could be seen as advantageous in one society could be at a major disadvantage in another. A child’s gender, sexuality, religious beliefs and social attitudes will all have a varying degree of influence depending on the culture in which they are raised. 

Overall, Weisner provides a unique perspective on the complex question of what is the most important factor in childhood development.