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Research -- StepUp to Learn

Motivation Depends on How the Brain Processes Fatigue

Motivation Depends on How the Brain Processes Fatigue

How do we decide whether or not an activity which requires work is ‘worth the effort’?
Posted in Attention, Engagement, Motivation, Neuroscience

Researchers Find What Motivates Young Children to Learn

Researchers Find What Motivates Young Children to Learn

The study focused on how children’s knowledge level influences what information they find interesting. The findings suggest that children are not simply attracted to information by its novelty.
Posted in Education, Engagement, Motivation, Neuroscience, School Readiness

Not All Recess is Created Equal

Not All Recess is Created Equal

With schools returning to full-time in-person classes this fall now is a good time to rethink, ‘How do we create schools that are more child-friendly?’ 
Posted in Engagement, Motivation, Movement & Exercise, Neuroscience

Taking Short Breaks May Help our Brains Learn New Skills

Taking Short Breaks May Help our Brains Learn New Skills

The resting brain repeatedly replays compressed memories of what was just practiced.
Posted in Attention, Engagement, Health & Wellness, Memory, Neuroscience

These Cognitive Exercises Help Children Boost Their Math Skills

These Cognitive Exercises Help Children Boost Their Math Skills

Young children who practice visual working memory and reasoning tasks improve their math skills more than children who focus on spatial rotation exercises.
Posted in Education, Engagement, Mathematics, Neuroscience

Youngest Children in Class Are More Likely to Be Diagnosed with a Learning Disability

Youngest Children in Class Are More Likely to Be Diagnosed with a Learning Disability

Children born in December are almost twice as likely to be diagnosed with a learning disorder as those born in January. 
Posted in Attention, Engagement, Motivation, Neuroscience, School Readiness

Connecting the Dots Between Engagement and Learning

Connecting the Dots Between Engagement and Learning

Changes in internal states -- such as arousal, attention, and engagement -- causes behavior changes and may help you quickly learn and master new skills.
Posted in Attention, Education, Engagement, School Readiness

Puzzle Play Helps Boost Math Skills 

Puzzle Play Helps Boost Math Skills 

Researchers have found that children who played with puzzles at a young age later perform better on tasks utilizing spatial skills.
Posted in Education, Engagement, Language, Mathematics, Memory, Neuroscience

Paper Notebooks vs. Mobile Devices

Paper Notebooks vs. Mobile Devices

Unique, complex information in analog methods likely gives brain more details to trigger memory.

Posted in Education, Engagement, Handwriting, Memory, Neuroscience, Technology

New Experiences Enhance Learning by Resetting Key Brain Circuit

New Experiences Enhance Learning by Resetting Key Brain Circuit

A study of spatial learning in mice shows that exposure to new experiences dampens established representations in the brain’s hippocampus and prefrontal cortex, allowing the mice to learn new navigation strategies.

Posted in Engagement, Memory, Motivation, Neuroscience

Blink! The Link Between Aerobic Fitness and Cognition

Blink! The Link Between Aerobic Fitness and Cognition

Researchers have found evidence that spontaneous eye blink activity, which reflects activity in the dopaminergic system, explains the connection between fitness and cognitive function.

Posted in Education, Engagement, Language, Mathematics, Memory, Motivation, Movement & Exercise, Neuroscience

Scientists Identify Specific Brain Region and Circuits Controlling Attention

Scientists Identify Specific Brain Region and Circuits Controlling Attention

New research on our understanding of focus and impulse control, two different factors affecting attention.
Posted in Attention, Engagement, Neuroscience