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Research -- StepUp to Learn

Petting Therapy Dogs Enhances Thinking Skills

Petting Therapy Dogs Enhances Thinking Skills

New research shows petting therapy dogs enhances thinking skills of stressed students.
Posted in Education, Health & Wellness, Neuroscience

Exercise Aids the Cognitive Development of Children Born Preterm

Exercise Aids the Cognitive Development of Children Born Preterm

A premature start in life can cause problems even into teenage years. A recent study indicates that training motor skills in these children helps even when they are older.
Posted in Attention, Education, Health & Wellness, Movement & Exercise, School Readiness

Kids' Physical Fitness is More Important Than BMI

Kids' Physical Fitness is More Important Than BMI

Weight loss shouldn’t be the goal of PE new study shows.

Posted in Education, Health & Wellness, Movement & Exercise, Neuroscience

Clumsy Kids Can Be Fit Too

Clumsy Kids Can Be Fit Too

Clumsy kids can be as aerobically fit as their peers with better motor skills, a new Finnish study shows.
Posted in Health & Wellness, Movement & Exercise, Neuroscience

Visual-Spatial Learning Disorder Is More Common Than Thought

Visual-Spatial Learning Disorder Is More Common Than Thought

Nonverbal learning disability (NVLD), a poorly understood and often-overlooked disorder that causes problems with visual-spatial processing, may affect nearly 3 million children in the United States, making it one of the most common learning disorders.
Posted in Education, Health & Wellness, Mathematics, Memory, Movement & Exercise, Neuroscience, Reading Skills, Social Development

Playfulness Can Be Trained - Here's Why You Should Do It

Playfulness Can Be Trained - Here's Why You Should Do It

Playfulness is a personality trait that is expressed differently in people. "Particularly playful people have a hard time dealing with boredom....
Posted in Engagement, Health & Wellness, Motivation, Social Development, Social Skills

Child's Play 'Lost' in Pandemic Fear

Child's Play 'Lost' in Pandemic Fear

Social and community disruptions caused by the COVID-19 restrictions could have a lasting effect on child wellbeing, Flinders University researchers warn.
Posted in Engagement, Health & Wellness, Movement & Exercise, Social Development, Social Skills

Study Finds Government Policies Push Schools to Prioritize Creating Better Test-Takers Over Better People

Study Finds Government Policies Push Schools to Prioritize Creating Better Test-Takers Over Better People

Personal growth and job skills have taken a backseat to an increased focus on standardized test scores in schools across the nation, according to new research.
Posted in Education, Health & Wellness, School Readiness, Social Development, Social Skills

Getting Kids Moving: Home Tennis Keeps Kids Active, and Learning

Getting Kids Moving: Home Tennis Keeps Kids Active, and Learning

Games-making is designed to encourage students to create their own tennis games using various equipment from around their home environment, getting kids to move more, improve their skills, and come up with their own creative tennis games. 
Posted in Engagement, Health & Wellness, Movement & Exercise, Technology

Mother Nature: Reshaping Modern Play Spaces for Children’s Health

Mother Nature: Reshaping Modern Play Spaces for Children’s Health

A world first review of the importance of nature play could transform children’s play spaces, supporting investment in city and urban parks, while also delivering important opportunities for children’s physical, social and emotional development.
Posted in Attention, Engagement, Health & Wellness, Neuroscience, School Readiness, Social Development, Speech & Language

Digital Games May Beat Mindfulness Apps at Relieving Stress

Digital Games May Beat Mindfulness Apps at Relieving Stress

Highly engaging digital games which provide opportunities for mastering new skills and allowing users to feel in control may relieve stress at the end of the day more effectively than mindfulness apps.
Posted in Attention, Engagement, Health & Wellness, Neuroscience, Social Development

Preschoolers Who Watch TV Sleep Less

Preschoolers Who Watch TV Sleep Less

Preschoolers who watch TV sleep significantly less than those who don’t, according to new research by University of Massachusetts Amherst neuroscientists.
Posted in Education, Health & Wellness, Memory, School Readiness