Childhood can be a time of fun for children, but it’s also a time of learning. It’s always beneficial that those around children try to help facilitate their learning to their best ability, but how do you do that?

Carefully choosing and prompting your words can help to facilitate learning, support rich thinking, and support conversations about deeper topics. You can do this by asking purposeful questions that prompt your child to make connections between an event or experience in the past and current events or experiences in the present. 

Try to start with just one or two questions once a day, overtime these types of questions will feel natural to ask. Intentional teaching practice can significantly improve the quality of learning, now matter how old you are! Here are some prompts you can try out:

• Is this what you expected to happen? How so?
• Would you like to share your ideas?
• How did you figure that out?
• Take a moment to think, and let me know your thoughts 

If you want to keep reading, click here! 

Kaitlyn Vitucci, Research Assistant UConn KIDS

The glaring lack of educational accessibility for Deaf children constitutes a crisis, perpetuating cycles of inequality and marginalization. Across diverse regions and socioeconomic contexts, Deaf children encounter formidable barriers to learning, stemming from insufficient language exposure and limited resources tailored to their needs. This deprivation of early language acquisition deprives Deaf children of the foundational skills necessary for academic success and social integration, perpetuating a cycle of educational disadvantage and hindering their future prospects.

To address these systemic disparities, concerted efforts are needed to advocate for policy reform, enhance teacher training programs, and foster community engagement in support of Deaf learners. By prioritizing inclusive educational policies and allocating resources to support Deaf education, stakeholders can create environments that facilitate language acquisition and empower Deaf children to thrive academically and socially. Moreover, raising awareness about the importance of sign language and promoting Deaf culture can challenge stereotypes and foster greater societal acceptance, paving the way for a more inclusive and equitable educational landscape for Deaf children worldwide.

To read more about this topic, watch the full TedTalk here.

 

Jasleen Kaur, UConn KIDS Research Assistant

 

Discovering the secret to raising bilingual children is like unraveling a tapestry of linguistic wonder, where each family weaves its unique pattern of language proficiency. Isabelle Gerretsen delves into a world where strategies vary as much as the languages spoken, from the classic “One Parent, One Language” approach to the dynamic blend of cultures and tongues within multicultural households.

Through the lens of families like Krupa Padhy’s, we witness the magic of language blossoming from the roots of cultural heritage. With each word spoken, children go on a journey where they are open to cognitive exploration, their brains sculpted by the symphony of sounds around them. But it’s not just about mastering vocabulary; it’s about fostering a love for languages that transcends borders and opens doors to diverse worlds.

From the tender moments of infancy, where babies absorb their mother’s voice, to the bustling chatter of bilingual households, the quest for linguistic proficiency unfolds. And while the path may vary—from structured language schedules to spontaneous language immersion—what remains constant is the joy of linguistic discovery, the bond of cultural connection, and the promise of a brighter, more enriched future for bilingual children everywhere.

To read more about this topic click here

 

Jasleen Kaur, UConn KIDS Research Assistant

Welcome back to Trivia Tuesday!

This weeks question is…True or false: pretend play is an important part of cognitive development.

A. True
B. False

Last weeks question was “There are 4 types of parenting styles; which style type is defined as parents who encourage independence with limits, parents who are warm and nurturing, and are correlated with a child’s social competence, social responsibility, and self-reliance?” The answer is authoritative!

Tune in next week to find out the answer to this weeks question!

Looking back to our early days in school, we all remember the little art projects we did. From an early age, schools engage student’s creativity with art and allow them to create and express. Within our art projects, researchers can gain a deeper understanding on the effectiveness of art education and examining other aspects of child development.

The paper “Arts-based educational research in the early years” dives into ABER (arts-based educational research) and how it is examined within early childhood settings. It is described to allow children to conduct research with the researchers and not just examining a child’s behavior. It is interesting to recognize how art can play such an important role in research and how engaging to can be not only for children, but the researchers involved too!

 

To read more, click here!

Mikayla Clemens

Research assistant, UConn KIDS

Infants are fascinated by the world around us. Throughout their earliest months, infants are gathering a ton of new information and experiences. Previous studies have indicated that infants prefer to look at more complex patterns rather than solid shapes, but what about perception and continuity?

This study examines the ability of 4 month olds to recognize object continuity and perception through shapes and colors. Previous studies conducted in the past examine object continuity through the relationship between colors and shapes, however, it has been found to be recognizable and discriminatory at this age. When thinking about this study, it is interesting to see how development progresses so quickly within a short period of time!

 

To read about this study, click here!

Mikayla Clemens

Research Assistant, UConn KIDS

There are a variety of reasons as to why your child might be non-verbal; whether they have Autism Spectrum Disorder, are pre-verbal, or have delayed verbal skills. Regardless, it is still important to be able to communicate with your child. There are multiple ways to communicate with your non-verbal child, however, if possible, it may be beneficial to speak to a professional to see what ways work best for you and your child.

It’s important to note that these are supplemental ways to communicate, and they shouldn’t be used to replace any form of speech therapy. The first way is to keep talking to your child and try to include them in conversations, and refrain from speaking about them as if they aren’t there. 

It’s helpful to pay attention to signs and behaviors. Spoken words are only a part of daily communication, there are a lot of other ways people communicate besides speaking. An example is body language, such as pointing, or facial expressions.

Another way to supplement communication is to take a pause after speaking. This means that it might be helpful to act like you’re having a spoken conversation, by pausing you’re allowing your child to react and/or communicate in a way that they can. 

If you’re interested in reading about other ways to communicate with your non-verbal child, click

https://www.verywellfamily.com/communicating-with-a-nonverbal-child-4177579

Kaitlyn Vitucci, Research Assistant UConn KIDS

 

Welcome back to Trivia Tuesdays!

This weeks question is… There are 4 types of parenting styles; which style type is defined as parents who encourage independence with limits, parents who are warm and nurturing, and are correlated with childs social competence, social responsibility, and self reliance?

A. Authoritarian
B. Authoritative
C. Neglectful
D. Permissive

Last weeks question was…”True or false: Albert Bandura’s social learning theory states that observational learning plays a primary role in how/why people learn.” The answer was true!

Tune in next week to find out the answer to this weeks question!

 

 

Early childhood plays a pivotal role in brain development, crucial for cognition and mental well-being.  Socioeconomic status significantly influences brain health, with higher income linked to better cognitive skills and brain structure. However, a study suggests that reading for pleasure in early childhood can mitigate some negative effects of poverty on the brain. This finding is based on an analysis of data from the Adolescent Brain and Cognitive Development project, involving over 10,000 participants. Remarkably, reading for pleasure correlates with improved cognition, mental health, and educational achievement in adolescence, regardless of socioeconomic status. It’s a simple yet powerful intervention that could level the playing field for children from disadvantaged backgrounds. This highlights the importance of equal opportunities in early childhood for fostering healthy brain development.

Language learning through reading serves as a foundational element in healthy brain development, enhancing various cognitive functions. Promoting reading for pleasure emerges as a powerful strategy to counteract the impacts of poverty on brain health, offering hope for better outcomes. Further research is warranted to delve deeper into poverty’s influence on brain development and to identify additional interventions to support vulnerable children.

Despite the multifaceted nature of poverty’s impact on brain development, reading offers a straightforward avenue for improvement. Language learning through reading is crucial for brain development and enhances various cognitive functions. The study underscores the need for comprehensive approaches to address the effects of poverty on brain health. Promoting reading for pleasure could serve as a vital strategy in this endeavor, potentially mitigating the long-term consequences of socioeconomic disparities. Further research is necessary to deepen our understanding of poverty’s influence on brain development and to identify additional interventions to support vulnerable children.

To dig into this captivating article click here

 

 

Jasleen Kaur, UConn KIDS Research Assistant