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.

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 may encounter some form of communication difficulties in the early years.

UConn Researchers are studying Specific Language Impairment (SLI). What is that?

Check here for information about this and other language challenges youngsters may face.

“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.

 

Language is really a variety of sounds strung together. How does the brain take these sounds and create meaning from them?  UConn researchers investigate. Read more here.

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.

 

Through brain imaging, UConn researchers can now better explain why a phonetical approach to reading – emphasizing the relationship between written words and the sounds of the spoken words they represent – is  so important (in any language!). Read more here.

Does natural hearing of language versus use of sign language (in deaf children) make a difference in mental processing? UConn researchers look at the link between language processing and cognitive processing. Read more here.

We know that social communication is difficult for individuals with ASD. But why?  Where is the breakdown in communication happening and how does it occur?  UConn researchers are investigating this important phenomenon, as the answers of the root cause may help build new interventions. Read their initial findings here.

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.