News and research on child development of interest to parents
- Best Time to Toilet Train Children Pinpointed Through Research
Researchers at The Bristol-Myers Squibb Children's Hospital (BMSCH) at Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital (RWJUH) and UMDNJ-Robert Wood Johnson Medical School (UMDNJ-RWJMS) have completed a study that pinpoints the period between 24 and 32 months of age as most effective time frame for parents to begin toilet training lessons with their children. Additionally, the study indicates that the timing appeared to matter more than the specific training method used.
- Key Factors to Help Children Avoid Social Rejection Identified
Neurobehavioral researchers at Rush University Medical Center have found three key factors in a child's behavior that can lead to social rejection. The studies are a crucial step in developing scientifically sound screening tests and treatment planning for social-emotional learning difficulties. The results from the studies are published in the Journal of Clinical Child and Adolescent Psychology.
- The Power of Magical Thinking
For years, imagination was thought of as a way for children to escape from reality, and once they reached a certain age, it was believed they would push fantasy aside and deal with the real world. But, increasingly, child-development experts are recognizing the importance of imagination and the role it plays in understanding reality. Imagination is necessary for learning about people and events we don't directly experience, such as history or events on the other side of the world. For young kids, it allows them to ponder the future, such as what they want to do when they grow up.
- Speaking About Language Development
Study indicates that we may need to promote more than just reading, narrating, and limiting television viewing. The Zimmerman study suggests that actually conversing with children is also important to the acquisition of language skills.
- Children With Delayed Physical Development May Grow Up To Be Better Athletes
The difficulties faced by children who develop slower than their peers may provide them with advantages as they age. They may grow up to be better soccer players," posits Dr. Yuval Chiger in his doctoral thesis in the field of education. Dr. Chiger has worked with talented, young soccer, basketball and tennis players for a number of years
- Lower IQ And Impaired Neural Development Due To Poor Nutrition
Poor nutrition early in life can impair neural development, leading to lower IQ in humans and flawed song learning in birds. Recent evidence indicates that many organisms can offset some of the changes associated with early poor nutrition by modifying their physical development.
- Quality Of Early Child Care Plays Role In Later Reading, Math Achievement
Using information from the longitudinal study of early care and youth development, researchers found that children who spent more time in high-quality child care in the first five years of their lives had better math and reading scores in middle childhood. Researchers also found that low-income children who attended high-quality child care programs before the age of five performed similarly to their affluent peers. These findings have implications for the role of child care in the creation of anti-poverty policies.
For analysis of some of these articles by Dr Bob Myers along with comments from readers -
please go to our Parenting Today Blog.
