Research -- StepUp to Learn

How should we handle boys who can't read?

How should we handle boys who can't read?

"Letter-sound knowledge is what best predicts how well students will be able to read later," says Professor Hermundur Sigmundsson at the Norwegian University of Science and Technology's (NTNU) Department of Psychology. He has based his research on major empirical studies and theory.

 

Kids praised for being smart are more likely to cheat

Kids praised for being smart are more likely to cheat

An international team of researchers reports that when children are praised for being smart not only are they quicker to give up in the face of obstacles they are also more likely to be dishonest and cheat. Kids as young as age 3 appear to behave differently when told “You are so smart” vs “You did very well this time.”

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.

 

Child’s Home Learning Environment Predicts 5th Grade Academic Skills

Child’s Home Learning Environment Predicts 5th Grade Academic Skills

Children whose parents provide them with learning materials like books and toys and engage them in learning activities and meaningful conversations in infancy and toddlerhood are likely to develop early cognitive skills that can cascade into later academic success, finds a new study by NYU’s Steinhardt School of Culture, Education, and Human Development.

 

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.

Graphic Novels: Can Comics Make Your Kid Smarter?

Graphic Novels: Can Comics Make Your Kid Smarter?

Researchers found that graphic novels help children understand not only what they are reading in class, but also teach reading comprehension strategies students can use in other types of reading and writing.

Personality Outsmarts Intelligence in the Classroom

Personality Outsmarts Intelligence in the Classroom

A recent study found that personality is more important than intelligence when it comes to children’s success in the classroom.

Building Brain Habits: Predicting Success

Building Brain Habits: Predicting Success

Christopher was not a behavior problem, but he was refusing to do his work. He usually earned Bs or Cs in his 3rd grade class and his teacher had no sense of why he was no longer interested in school. What was the cause of his apathy, and more urgently, how can we motivate and engage a student like Christopher?

Need Inspiration? Get Moving!

Need Inspiration? Get Moving!

Have you ever hit a creative roadblock? Exercise might be the answer to overcoming mental blocks, according to a new study.

 

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. 

Guided Play: Learning "Takes Shape" in Preschool

Guided Play: Learning "Takes Shape" in Preschool

Guided play, or discovery learning, is an inquiry-based teaching method where teachers are coaches who create interest-driven experiences. In this study, guided play improved preschoolers ability to learn geometric shapes -- an essential component to school readiness-- over other types of instruction.

Building Brain Habits: Learning from Mistakes

Building Brain Habits: Learning from Mistakes

In the StepUp programS, we say that self-evaluation is the key to motivation.  In other words, when children feel empowered to do meaningful work and feel the satisfaction of a job well done, then they develop the ability to evaluate their work.