School's Out: Protect kids in online world
08-11-2008
Colin Boblet, 11, and brother Tristan Boblet, 12, have had adventurous lives. They spent years at sea on a yacht with their parents, have hiked mountain trails, and now live in a forested community where bears and mountain lions roam. ");
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document.write("Yet one danger they face — and which their parents watch with care — confronts them in the quiet comfort of their living room: The Internet.
What to know before buying your kid a cell phone
08-11-2008
More and more children are showing up at school each August with cell phones, and the Center on Media and Child Health Web site states that 54 percent of 8- to 12-year-olds will have a cell phone in the next three years.");
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document.write("For many parents, a cell phone's convenience and the peace of mind it offers -- being able to reach your child at any time, anywhere -- is hard to argue against. But should every kid have a cell phone? And how young is too young?");
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document.write("Here are some issues parents should consider before buying their child a cell phone for the upcoming year.
Verbally Aggressive Mothers Direct Their Children's Behavior
07-18-2008 - Science Daily
A new study reveals that verbally aggressive (VA) mothers tend to control their children’s choice of activities as well as use physical negative touch, along with directives, when trying to alter their child’s actions.
A Second-Rate Secondary Education High schools need to start treating their students with the same respect colleges do.
08-11-2008
The weakest and most vulnerable element in education, particularly in the developed world, is the education of adolescents in our secondary-school systems. Relative economic prosperity and the extension of leisure time have spawned an inconsistent but prevalent postponement of adulthood. On the one hand, as consumers and future citizens, young people between the ages of 13 and 18 are afforded considerable status and independence. Yet they remain infantilized in terms of their education, despite the earlier onset of maturation. Standards and expectations are too low. Modern democracies are increasingly inclined to ensure rates of close to 100 percent completion of a secondary school that can lead to university education. This has intensified an unresolved struggle between the demands of equity and the requirements of excellence. If we do not address these problems, the quality of university education will be at risk.
Attitude Determines Student Success In Rural Schools, Study Finds
07-18-2008 - Science Daily
While most of the country focuses on ACT scores, student-teacher ratio and rigorous curriculum to increase student success, it may be the commitment to excellence that determines student achievement in rural schools. This is an overlooked, yet critical, factor when considering nearly half of American school districts are in rural areas, educating nearly 21 percent of all students.
Scientists Learn How Food Affects The Brain: Omega 3 Especially Important
07-18-2008 - Science Daily
Children who had increased amounts of omega-3 fatty acids performed better in school, in reading and in spelling and had fewer behavioral problems,
Early-life Nutrition May Be Associated With Adult Intellectual Functioning
07-18-2008 - Science Daily
Schooling is a key component of the development of literacy, reading comprehension and cognitive functioning, and thus of human capital,\" the authors write as background information in the article. Research also suggests that poor nutrition in early life is associated with poor performance on cognitive (thinking, learning and memory) tests in adulthood. \"Therefore, both nutrition and early-childhood intellectual enrichment are likely to be important determinants of intellectual functioning in adulthood.
Reading, Math Scores Up For U.S. 4th And 8th Graders
07-18-2008 - Science Daily
The United States' fourth and eighth graders scored higher in reading and mathematics than they did during their last national assessment, according to the federal government's latest annual statistical report on the well-being of the nation's children. Not all the report's findings were positive; there also were increases in the adolescent birth rate and the proportion of infants born at low birthweight.
Full-day Kindergarteners' Reading, Math Gains Fade By 3rd Grade
07-18-2008 - Science Daily
Children in full-day kindergarten have slightly better reading and math skills than children in part-day kindergarten, but these initial academic benefits diminish soon after the children leave kindergarten. This loss is due, in part, to issues related to poverty and the quality of children's home environments.
Educational Benefits Of Social Networking Sites Uncovered
07-18-2008 - Science Daily
In a first-of-its-kind study, researchers at the University of Minnesota have discovered the educational benefits of social networking sites such as MySpace and Facebook. The same study found that low-income students are in many ways just as technologically proficient as their counterparts, going against what results from previous studies have suggested.
Drug Reverses Mental Retardation Caused By Genetic Disorder; Hope For Correcting How Autism Disrupts Brain
07-18-2008
UCLA researchers discovered that an FDA-approved drug reverses the brain dysfunction inflicted by a genetic disease called tuberous sclerosis complex (TSC). Because half of TSC patients also suffer from autism, the findings offer new hope for addressing learning disorders due to autism. Nature Medicine publishes the findings in its online June 22 edition.
Diabetic teens benefit from discussing problems
08-11-2008
Teenagers with type 1 diabetes, also known as insulin-dependent diabetes, may get an emotional lift from discussing the problems and worries they have in managing their condition, a new study suggests.");
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document.write("Researchers found that among a group of Dutch teenagers with type 1 diabetes, those who had their \"health-related quality of life\" assessed by their doctor showed improvements in their psychological well-being over one year.
Positive School Environments Can Help Reduce Student Smoking
07-18-2008 - Science Daily
A survey of high-school children in Scotland has shown that pupils who experience positive and inclusive social environments in schools are less likely to take up smoking. New research reveals that teachers who succeed in creating a positive environment in school may be responsible for their pupils staying smoke-free.
Obesity Is Number One Health Concern For Kids In 2008
07-18-2008 - Science Daily
According to a report released July 14 by the University of Michigan C.S. Mott Children’s Hospital National Poll on Children’s Health, childhood obesity is now the No. 1 health concern for kids in 2008, topping smoking and drug abuse. In 2007, childhood obesity ranked third among parents’ top 10 overall health concerns for kids.
Study Links Early Friendships With High-quality Sibling Relationships
08-11-2008
Children who experience a rewarding friendship before the birth of a sibling are likely to have a better relationship with that brother or sister that endures throughout their childhood, said Laurie Kramer in a University of Illinois study published in December's Journal of Family Psychology.
Kids Talk : The brain learns best with guidance
08-11-2008
Studies on how to age well cite certain factors for wellbeing: Have a close circle of family and friends, stay active and laugh often. ");
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document.write("Amazingly these ingredients for a good life are what the developing mind of the young child under the age of 6 years also requires. Positive social contact serves as a buffer between the young child and the ups and downs of life. The people in our life can cushion negative experiences and amplify positive experiences.
Aggressive Preschoolers Found To Have Fewer Friends Than Others
07-18-2008 - Science Daily
Preschoolers who are aggressive, angry, and inattentive tend to have fewer playmates than their non-aggressive classmates, whether they are boys or girls. In comparison, non-aggressive children do better at interactions with many peers over time.
Parents Should Limit Young Children's Exposure To Background TV
07-18-2008 - Science Daily
Despite the fact that pediatricians recommend no screen media exposure for children under age 2, three-quarters of very young children in America live in homes where the television is on most of the time, according to research. A new study has found that leaving your TV set on disrupts young children while they are playing, even if the channel is tuned to adult shows. This means that simply having the TV on, even in the background, may be detrimental to children's development.
Further Evidence For Genetic Contribution To Autism
07-18-2008 - Science Daily
Some parents of children with autism evaluate facial expressions differently than the rest of us--and in a way that is strikingly similar to autistic patients themselves, according to new research by neuroscientist Ralph Adolphs of the California Institute of Technology and psychiatrist Joe Piven at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.