Babies possess amazing learning abilities. But to master language, they need our help. Studies suggest we can support language development by engaging babies in conversation, and by providing them with a variety of special cues and communicative experiences.
Research suggests that playful, age-appropriate musical training can help babies learn language-related skills.
Babies make lots of communicative noises, but coos, gurgles, and cries aren’t true speech. When do babies say their first words? Most babies can say at least one or two words by the end of their first year, but the timing may vary considerably from individual to individual.
Do children tell prosocial lies – lies intended to protect another person from harm? Fascinating experiments indicate that many kids are capable of this by the age of 7, and some children show the capacity even earlier.
STEM books for kids? Math and science games? Resources to get kids thinking, coding, building? Recommendations from Parenting Science.
There are many ways to play with blocks. One approach — structured block play — may be especially helpful for promoting STEM achievement.
These preschool math games have helped young children develop an intuitive understanding of numbers. Here’s how to make them, and how to play.
Most kids begin telling lies between the ages of 2 and 4, as they develop better “mind-reading” skills and self-control. But understanding the morality of lying? That comes later.
In the last trimester, fetuses can hear music in the womb. And if they hear the same tune many times, they may learn to recognize it.
Yes, newborns spend most of their time sleeping and eating. But babies are more than mere survival machines. At birth, they are primed and ready for social input, and our loving care has profound effects on their development. Generations ago, learning theorists tended to underestimate newborns. They assumed that young infants were empty-headed, passive lumps. Read More »
© 2021 Gwen Dewar, Ph.D., all rights reserved Some teens study lots of math. Others avoid it. Does it make a difference? Yes, and not only to career prospects. New research suggests it might also affect brain chemistry, and the way that students learn. How many years of math should you take in high school? Read More »
Studies of video games and attention reveal mixed effects. Some games can boost visual attention, and they may help kids with dyslexia. But there’s a downside.