Today’s Friday Feature is Sumita Saluja!

Sumita is a Project Manager and Research Assistant within the Department of Educational Psychology at UConn. She earned her degree in Health Sciences at the University of Hartford. 

Sumita and her research team are hoping to learn which areas of the brain are involved in successful reading development. This will help them better understand the neurobiological effects of teaching reading on a neural level. They are also hoping to learn how the brain changes as they teach students with reading difficulty to read using a research-based reading program. Sumita’s goal within her research is to create very efficient and effective reading interventions that work well for students with reading difficulty.

In her free time, Sumita likes to spend time with friends and family, especially her 15-year-old son. She enjoys sports, the stock market, and Netflix! 

 

The new generation (Generation Z) of children is starting to show interest in making a difference in the world and is starting to understand that politics may be a gateway for them. And so, this may be a valuable way to build a meaningful connection with them. Parents should engage their children in meaningful conversations surrounding politics and specifically in regard to identities, gender, ethnicity, and socioeconomic status. It helps them understand how communities and societies work today. This new generation values openness and authenticity in conversations and being treated as adults when talking to their parents. Parents should not be afraid of talking about their personal beliefs and political stances and how they might align with or differ from that of their children. It is important to show children that it is okay to have differing opinions and tensions when it comes to politics, and being able to navigate these opinions is a part of being an adult. Adults should also model civil disclosure such as positive behaviors, constant engagement, and not showing aggression and dismissiveness when talking to their children. It is important to maintain humility, curiosity, understanding, and empathy during conversations. If there is the respect shown in the conversation, this generation of children is more likely to be actively engaged. Now, more than ever, we need to bring politics to the everyday table and get them to understand how their voices can change the world. 

Article Link: https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/young-people-decoded/202211/3-ways-talk-gen-z-about-politics

Tulsi Patel

UConn KIDS Research Assistant

Many children are picky eaters in that they are very selective about the foods they consume. Picky eating can vary on a spectrum from having mild to severe food preferences, with the latter being classified as avoidant food intake disorder (ARFID) due to the weight loss and malnutrition that it can cause. It is normal for children aged 2-5 years old to go through phases of being a picky eater, but some children get caught in this habit and only want to eat specific foods, which can result in weight changes for the child and increased demands on the parent. 

Picky eating in children can be caused by a variety of things, including mental health disorders such as anxiety, developmental and behavioral disorders, sensory sensitivities, having bad experiences with food, and feeding difficulty. Picky eating may often be brushed off as a non-issue, but it can put children at risk for nutritional deficiencies. Nonetheless, picky eating is resolvable; psychologists recommend these five tips for helping children overcome their selective eating patterns. 

First, understand that picky eating results from food anxiety; the child does not enjoy eating new foods and picky eating helps them cope. Second, do not coerce or make your child eat foods that they don’t want to eat. Allowing your child to choose what foods to consume decreases pressure to eat, and in turn allows them to eat better. Third, begin to provide your child with new food experiences to help relieve food anxiety. For example, you could take them to the grocery store with you and teach them about new foods. Fourth, consider making a change to how you present meals to your child. A common method of feeding picky eaters is providing them a different meal at a time separate from when the rest of the family eats. This method can isolate a child and decreases their exposure to different foods. Instead, consider using a family meal approach, where a couple of dishes are prepared and served buffet-style. This approach allows the family to eat the same foods together, and grants picky eaters choice as well. Lastly, set boundaries around eating, such as how long meals should last or whether electronics are allowed at the table.

Helping a child overcome picky eating is a family effort that requires patience, but overall is a worthwhile process that in the end can improve your child’s nutritional health.

Kylie Robinshaw

Research Assistant, UConn KIDS

Article Link: https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/ask-child-psychologist/202211/how-do-i-get-my-picky-eater-try-new-foods

It is typical for families to make a memory box filled with medals, favorite stuffed animals, and even all of your old art projects from your school years.  While those simple crafts and messy paintings might seem like just a memento, they might actually be a key in helping children develop.

Painting is an activity that is highly engaging for most kids as when finger painting they get to experience the sensory input of dipping their fingers in the paint and the way it feels when they drag them along the page or even just getting to see all of the colors as they push a brush around.  This art form is a powerful avenue in which children can convey their ideas, sharpen their senses, express emotion, and even get a better understanding of cause and effect relationships.  Children get an experience to directly manipulate and try out different techniques for spreading paint and even what happens when mixing colors together.  It is also a great opportunity to help children develop their language and social skills.  Children are put in a situation where they must communicate what materials they need and learn to ask for assistance when they need help with something.  Language can also be supported farther by the caregiver asking the artist prompting questions such as “what color is this?” and “what shapes are those?”

When it comes to painting with children it is important to use non-toxic materials and provide them with large paper and various brushes to allow for exploration.  Nonetheless, painting truly is a powerful tool so go grab the smocks! 

 

Read the full article: https://extension.psu.edu/programs/betterkidcare/early-care/tip-pages/all/painting-with-young-children

 

Marissa Robarge 

Research Assistant UConn KIDS 

The hippocampus functions in forming and stabilizing memories, playing a role in memory processing and learning. During early childhood, the hippocampus is rapidly developing and so young children need afternoon naps in order to help this brain structure to process new information into memories. The hippocampus can only hold a certain amount of information before it gets overpowered and is unable to process it, so napping helps it slow down and take the time to process information. For example, a 2020 study showed that children who took a nap after storytime were able to better recall the events in the story than those who did not. 

As the hippocampus matures, past the preschool ages, the capacity of the structure increases, able to process more information and increase memory. And so, as children grow, they transition out of napping, as they may not need it to better their learning. However, parents may be concerned when their child is still napping past the preschool age, which they should not be. Brain development occurs on different timelines and one child may need more time for certain development than another, and that is not of concern. 

This also does not mean that naps should be forced on children for their learning. They have an instinct of when they need to nap and when their brain is working for them, so we just need to listen to the children when they said they need a nap. Afternoon napping should not affect how much sleep a child gets at night. At a younger age, they will need about 11-14 hours of sleep while preschoolers will need 10-13 hours of sleep in total. 

Article Link: https://www.usnews.com/news/health-news/articles/2022-10-25/toddlers-nap-a-lot-and-then-they-dont-new-research-uncovers-why

Tulsi Patel

UConn KIDS Research Assistant 

Compared to those who have never played video games, those who have proved to be better on cognitive skills tests due to the impulse control and working memory skills they gain from playing. The differences in these two groups were observed as differences in brain activity. Children who played video games for three or more hours per day should have higher brain activity in the frontal regions which are associated with performing faster and more accurately on cognitive tasks and better vision. When playing video games, children are being cognitively demanded, testing their visual processing, and efficiency. 

Even though video games have been linked to mental health and behavioral changes, the findings are not statistically significant, and those results cannot be taken into account when creating trends. However, this does not mean that children should unlimited time playing video games and being on electronics, but the focus should be on what types of games they are playing. The ones that have proved to be the most cognitively demanding are action-adventure, puzzle-solving, sports, and shooting games. Many parents are concerned about their child’s use of video games and how that will affect their development and so it is important to understand the benefits and cons of it. 

Currently, there is an ABCD study going on which is longitudinal, meaning it will take place over longer periods of time, which looks at these trends further and tries to better understand the different factors that play into a child’s development consecutively with video games. This study includes 12000 participants and looks at brain imaging data to learn more about the development of children and hopefully create interventions to enhance life paths. 

Article link: https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2022/10/221024130852.htm

Tulsi Patel

UConn KIDS Research Assistant 

Halloween is a time for children to have fun, dress up, and experience many tricks and treats. However, a lot of Halloween tricks, costumes, and decorations can understandably be scary and anxiety-inducing for children. Five percent of children and adolescents have a specific phobia, with some children suffering from “maskaphobia,” a phobia of people wearing costumes and masks. Children who are scared of Halloween episodes of their favorite TV shows, of walking around a Halloween store, or of just seeing people dressed up in costumes, in general, may struggle with celebrating Halloween. Psychologists suggest the following tips when helping children overcome their Halloween fears. 

First and foremost, know that it’s normal for preschool-aged children to be afraid of costumes and masks; most children will grow out of this fear when they are in elementary school.

Second, know your child’s goals when it comes to Halloween and why they want to celebrate it. Knowing these goals can help guide you in helping your child combat their fears.

Third, ask your child questions about their fears like, “When you see ____, what goes on in your mind?” Using identifying questions helps you pinpoint the cause behind your child’s worries and can prepare you for helping them cope.

Fourth, help your child prepare for trick-or-treating by buying your own costume. Gradually introducing the costume to your child through steps such as having them help pick it out and letting them play with it and try it on can help them feel comfortable with the costumes they’ll see on Halloween.

Lastly, on Halloween night, let your child abide by their own comfort levels and reassure them of your confidence in them. Acknowledging your child’s courage reinforces their bravery and can give them the push they need to overcome their fears. 

Kylie Robinshaw

Research Assistant, UConn KIDS

Article Link: https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/emotionally-hardy-children-and-families/202210/what-do-when-your-child-is-afraid-halloween-and

Some of the fondest memories from childhood are from the outlandish and exciting things that we used to think about.  Usually we can all remember a game that we made up, pretending to be our favorite animal, or even playing with an imaginary friend.  Pretend play is any play that mixes reality with one’s imagination.  While play is simply that, play, it can also be an important tool in guiding your child’s development.

When children are engaging in pretend play the child is participating freely as they get to set the narrative and they gain independence by self-guiding their play.  Dramatic play can involve pretending an object is something other than what it actually is or just simply the child themselves taking on a new role.  This type of play is beneficial due to the engagement it requires and children become totally absorbed in what they are doing.  Children are also given the opportunity to practice representational thought in changing these identities as well as developing problem solving skillsl.  These problem solving skills can be further developed when engaging in pretend play with others as they must learn to navigate conflicts and societal rules in these made up scenarios.

Engagement in pretend play has been found to be linked to pre-literacy skills as children practice their storytelling abilities as well as develop language for doing so.  

Read the full article: 

https://www.researchgate.net/publication/233491368_The_Importance_of_Pretend_Play_in_Child_Development_An_Occupational_Therapy_Perspective/link/552b32f20cf29b22c9c1a5ef/download

Marissa Robarge

UConn KIDS Research Assistant

Our emotions allow us to connect with others and make sense of the world around us; they are a central part of our life. During childhood, our emotions may control us more than we control them. When children don’t know how to navigate their emotions they may end up repressing them or seeking out harmful coping outlets, both of which can have negative impacts on their physical and mental health. This is why it’s important to teach children how to manage their emotions properly. 

One way to show children how to regulate their emotions is to model it yourself. Children watch people around them for cues on what behaviors to emulate, so they are likely to pick up on healthy emotion regulation techniques if they see someone else using them. So, the next time you are angry or upset in the vicinity of your child, try taking deep breaths or using other self-regulation mechanisms, and chances are your child will begin using them too. When your child is feeling upset it is also important to use empathy and validate their emotions. Acknowledging your child’s feelings through using statements that reflect their emotions like, “You seem angry,” helps them feel recognized. Showing your child that you are there for them and value their feelings helps them begin the process of expressing, rather than repressing, their feelings. 

It is also important to recognize that emotions cannot be limited; let your child feel their “bad” emotions, but teach them that emotions and actions can be separate. Instead of telling your child to calm down, try teaching them coping mechanisms for their emotions instead. Further, it can be hard to tell what a child is feeling at times. Having them talk their emotions out to you can help you understand their emotional triggers, and helps them sort through their feelings as well. 

Lastly, teach your child how to find and recognize emotional outlets. Using an emotional outlet, like writing, dancing, or exercising, can be a form of self-expression and can help your child regulate their emotions, and can also be a useful tool for self-expression and socialization.

Kylie Robinshaw

Research Assistant, UConn KIDS

Article Link: https://psychcentral.com/blog/helping-children-learn-how-to-manage-emotions#1

 

One of the earliest science lessons you learn is about the five senses; sight, sound, taste, touch, and smell.  We often take our senses for granted such that we are so accustomed to them being a part of our everyday lives and does not require much thought, but what if you were able to help your child advance their learning by taking advantage of these five senses?

Sensory play is exactly how it sounds, it is play that involves any of our five senses.  Sensory play can be as simple as zipping a coat or as complex as riding a bike.  Some of the most common types of sensory play used with children includes finger painting, sand boxes, and even playing with dry pasta.  

Sensory play can shape your child’s learning because it physically helps build nerve connections within the brain’s pathways which can later help when completing various tasks.  This type of play can result in profound growth in language development such that children are forced to expand their vocabulary when trying to describe what they are doing and how it feels as well as learning new ways to communicate their emotions and needs when engaging in this play with others.  Growth can also be seen in fine motor development as the small muscle groups of the hand are strengthened by touching and physically manipulating the object they are playing with.  Cognitive growth has been seen as children are allowed to express curiosity and experiment with the experiences they are provided.  Often when presented with types of sensory play, they are able to participate in trial and error to figure out how things work and ask questions about their experiences.  

Sensory play can have profound effects on child development in various aspects.  For more information and how to incorporate sensory play into your child’s routine read the whole article:

https://health.clevelandclinic.org/benefits-of-sensory-play-ideas/

 

Marissa Robarge

UConn KIDS Research Assistant