Studies about cochlear implants for children

April 8, 2016

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).

 

 

Double benefits in bilingualism

April 1, 2016

Could learning multiple languages be associated with greater cognitive function (information processing)?
Could it be that bilinguals fare better when the brain “input” has more variability because they are accustomed to performing constant differentiation in language?
Could this advantage make them excellent problem solvers?
While more research may be needed on the topic, initail studies suggest “Bilingualism may guide learners to be more open to the possibility of multiple structures” Read all about it here.
 

What are “mirror neurons” and why are they so important?

March 22, 2016

Researchers such as those here at UConn are investigating how “watching an action” and “performing that action” can activate the SAME parts of the brain.

Read more here about the critical role that mirror neurons may have in autism, empathy, learning, and more!

Infant experiences can begin to lay foundation for school readiness.

March 16, 2016

Early experiences matter!
Want to build good “school readiness” for your child? It’s never too early to start!
Brain development happens quickly for young children. According to the National Association for Education of Young Children (NAEYC) laying the foundation for learning begins in infancy where motor, cognitive and social emotional skills quickly evolve.
Read on by clicking here.

Bridging early childhood education and early school experiences.

March 7, 2016

How important is it for early childhood educators/caregivers to communicate and collaborate with the school educators that their youngsters will interact with in the near future?  Very important, according to research. Read more to learn about a study that investigated collaboration between preschools and schools to better prepare students for the social/educational transition ahead of them.

Communicating meaning and emotion: music vs speech

Ever noticed that a certain musical pitch, rhythm, and tonality can evoke emotion or convey emotion, perhaps even stronger than spoken words can evoke/convey emotion? UConn researchers are investigating the brain’s role in processing meaning through music. Could musical frequencies be influencing brain frequencies? Read more here!

Many kids are experiencing sensory sensitivities. What does that feel like?

February 24, 2016

“It’s not as if I can hear what is being said; rather it is just many, many sounds, unfiltered and loud.”

“I hear both everything and nothing at the same time.”

These are just a few of the quotes from people with auditory sensitivities. UConn researchers are investigating how some of these sensitivities could impact language development and understanding in kids. Click here to read more and to better understand the challenges of experiencing sensory sensitivities.

 

How important is language in developing math skills?

February 16, 2016

Stay tuned into UConn KIDS to find out! UConn researcher Marie Coppola has received the prestigious NSF CAREER award. This is  a prestigious award from the National Science Foundation for junior faculty who exemplify outstanding research.

This CAREER award will provide 5 years of support for research on the impact of language experience on number development in deaf and hearing children.