Research -- StepUp to Learn

Want to help your child succeed in school? Add language to the math, reading mix

Want to help your child succeed in school? Add language to the math, reading mix

Research shows that the more skills children bring with them to kindergarten - in basic math, reading, even friendship and cooperation - the more likely they will succeed in those same areas in school. Hence, "kindergarten readiness" is the goal of many preschool programs, and a motivator for many parents. Now it's time to add language to that mix of skills, says a new University of Washington-led study.

 

NeuroNet Goes to China!

NeuroNet Goes to China!

We recently travelled to China to see how schools in Beijing are using NeuroNet, as well as to share the science behind NeuroNet with parents and teachers in Shanghai.

Study Reads Between the Lines in Children's Vocabulary Differences

Study Reads Between the Lines in Children's Vocabulary Differences

new study from the Callier Center for Communication Disorders at The University of Texas at Dallas found these differences in vocabulary growth among grade school children of different socioeconomic statuses are likely related to differences in the process of word learning.

Brain activity buffers against worsening anxiety

Brain activity buffers against worsening anxiety

Boosting activity in brain areas related to thinking and problem-solving may also buffer against worsening anxiety, suggests a new study by Duke University researchers.

How Dance Can Help Students in STEM Disciplines

How Dance Can Help Students in STEM Disciplines

A proof-of-concept study at North Carolina State University finds that participation in dance programs helps students – including those in science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) disciplines – develop skills such as creativity and persistence that benefited them in the classroom and beyond.

Study Finds Attending a Middle vs. a K-8 School Matters for Student Outcomes

Study Finds Attending a Middle vs. a K-8 School Matters for Student Outcomes

Students who attend a middle school compared to a K-8 school are likely to have a lower perception of their reading skills, finds a new NYU Steinhardt study.

Inattentive kids show worse grades in later life

Inattentive kids show worse grades in later life

Researchers studied children with and without attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), and found that inattentiveness was linked to worse academic performance up to 10 years later, regardless of ADHD, even when they accounted for the children's intellectual ability.

 

Toddlers begin learning rules of reading, writing at very early age, study finds

Toddlers begin learning rules of reading, writing at very early age, study finds

New research from Washington University in St. Louis suggests that children as young as 3 already are beginning to recognize and follow important rules and patterns governing how letters in the English language fit together to make words.

Do you read stories to kids? Ensure moral lessons have greater impact with these types of books

Do you read stories to kids? Ensure moral lessons have greater impact with these types of books

A study from the Ontario Institute for Studies in Education (OISE) at the University of Toronto shows kids aged 4-6 learn social lessons, like sharing or telling the truth, most effectively from a certain type of book. The results may surprise you.

How Important Are Genetics in Learning?

How Important Are Genetics in Learning?

Researchers have found that genetics significantly affect learning abilities. That's not to say, however, that academic achievement is entirely pre-determined. Learning environment does have an important effect on test scores, and possibly even more so in some cases.

 

Rethinking Gifted Education

Rethinking Gifted Education

Gifted education is a broad term to describe programs and practices used in the education of students who demonstrate exceptional abilities to learn or reason. Currently, more than 3 million students are enrolled in gifted programs nationwide. But gifted programs may not be the best learning environment for some students, according to a new study. 

How Your Child's Weight Affects School Readiness

How Your Child's Weight Affects School Readiness

recent study in Early Childhood Research Quarterly ventures into largely unchartered research territory. While previous research has examined how extra weight may inhibit children’s ability to perform optimally, most studies haven't differentiated between weight classes, such as overweight and obese. Further, there are few studies which examine the performance of underweight students in wealthy countries.