Unruly behaviors can be difficult to manage, especially in a classroom environment,  and some particularly disruptive children end up being restrained or secluded as a result.  However, UConn research shows evidence of positive outcomes with the PBIS approach to challenging behaviors (Positive Behavioral Interventions and Supports). Watch a video of the lecture at the capital here.

Baby talk is key for language acquisition regardless of language (or languages)! Find out more about bilingual language development in children by watching this video of UConn KIDS researcher Nairan Ramirez-Esparza.

It can be difficult for kids to wait. Instant gratification just feels good.  But developing impulse control is an important part of growing up.  Watch the marshmallow experiment video to see an example of a way to practice impulse control at home.

It can be hard for families to get engaged in the school environment for dual language childen, since the language spoken at school may not be the same language primarily spoken at home.

UConn Professor Linda Halgunseth from the Human Development and Family Studies department adds input to an article about promoting interaction for bilingual families and schools.

 

UConn’s Distinguished Professor of Psychological Sciences Deborah Fein’s new book suggests ways parents can adapt everyday activities to help children at risk of autism during their critical early years.

 

 

According to this experiment, preschool kids that cannot even read yet show they understand that written words represent something specific in a way that drawings do not.

For example, a photo of a dog could be called “dog”, “puppy” or “pet” but toddlers seem to understand that the letters of the word “dog”  cannot represent all three like the picture does.

Read on for more information on this interesting result.

 

While autism still remains a mystery, many strides were made this year in the field of autism research.

Humans communicate nonverbally all the time, through body language and facial expression. Individuals with autism, however, often have difficulty understanding this type of communication. Researchers want to find out why…click here to read more about what they discovered.

Studies of children from a single language, bilingual, or adopted at an early age with a change in language showed that brain response to words differed, with the adoptees showing more brain activity in the memory and attention areas. This suggests that early language sounds may have a significant influence in the brain, which can be helpful in understanding the development of bilingual speakers. Read more here.