Research -- StepUp to Learn

Researchers have found that musical training in childhood helps prevent decay in speech recognition skills later in life.

Physical activity, even acute and less intense levels, has beneficial effects on cognitive ability. We know that standing while working has increased health benefits for adults. Now researchers have found that children who stand at their desks in the classroom are more engaged and attentive than

 

Children experience many phases and changes during their school years, and its tempting to think they will grow out of most of their difficult phases. But a new study shows that children with early attention problems are at risk for worse academic outcomes in high school.

It’s been commonly accepted that each individual student has a favored learning style: visual (spatial), aural (auditory), verbal (linguistic), and physical (kinesthetic). Educators profess that by hitting each learning style in a lesson, success for all students is nearly guaranteed. And teachers have been directed to make sure that their instruction addresses each. Have we been misled? 

 

Are you left-brained or right-brained focused? Do we really only use 10 percent of our brain?

Many of us have pondered over these questions at one time or another, and some of us may even believe we have a definite answer to one or more of these kinds of brain teasers. However, a scientific study informs us that there is no validity to these questions as they are actually neuromyths, or unscientific ideas about the brain.

Teachers make all the difference in education. We aren’t just talking about academics, but also in how they impact students’ lives. Given the power of teacher-student relationships, education research can’t ignore the intricacies of this group's dynamics.

 

Encouraging preschoolers to practice their handwriting skills should take place before children ever step foot into a classroom, new evidence suggests. 

Early childhood educators are grateful for the work that researchers do to increase our understanding of the field of preschool education and how improve it. However, no one study alone can solidify advances –- research-based progress comes from the sum of findings as a whole, not just the parts. 

Hand gesturing is a flexible way of communicating that can help with language learning in both hearing and deaf children.

Long gone are the days of playing dress-up, tag, and action figures. Becoming a parent often means losing the ability to play! Yet whimsical free play is crucial to children’s development, according to Nancy O’Conner, the director of the Family Center at Kansas State University. O'Conner, a licensed clinical marriage and family therapist, suggests that in order to raise happy, healthy children, parents may want to relearn how to be a kid again.

Experienced teachers know that students learn in different ways and often take different paths to get to the same learning outcome. According to a recent study, such differences are especially prevalent when boys and girls are learning to read. In fact, international research shows that in all age groups, girls outperform boys on measures of reading. This new study on gender differences aims to understand why this gender based performance gap exists and to gain insight into how it can be reduced.

Angry outbursts like temper tantrums are common among toddlers, but by the time children enter school, they’re expected to have more self-control. In a longitudinal study published in Child Development, researchers  sought to determine whether developing language skills relates to developing anger control.