© 2009 – 2022 Gwen Dewar, Ph.D., all rights reserved #author-byline-block_622fe03440d70 .author-byline-text{ font-size: 16px; color: rgb(34, 34, 34); } Tangrams for kids: A learning tool for building STEM skills Like building blocks, tangrams can teach kids about spatial relationships. They may help kids learn geometric terms, and develop stronger problem...
Studies suggest the answer is yes…if the game has these particular features. © 2008 – 2022 Gwen Dewar, Ph.D., all rights reserved #author-byline-block_63179b880f58e .author-byline-text{ font-size: 16px; color: rgb(34, 34, 34); } You might not expect much from a preschool board game. Players roll dice, or spin a spinner, and move...
© 2009 – 2022 Gwen Dewar, Ph.D., all rights reserved #author-byline-block_6230dcd5b3d75 .author-byline-text{ font-size: 16px; color: rgb(34, 34, 34); } What is “the Mozart effect”? In the popular culture, “the Mozart effect” refers to the claim that listening to Mozart’s music can increase your general intelligence, or IQ. In the scientific community,...
© 2022 Gwen Dewar, Ph.D., all rights reserved #author-byline-block_62a9170e126ce .author-byline-text{ font-size: 16px; color: rgb(34, 34, 34); } 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...
© 2022 Gwen Dewar, Ph.D., all rights reserved #author-byline-block_629ffc4006161 .author-byline-text{ font-size: 16px; color: rgb(34, 34, 34); } If you think about it, music and spoken language have a lot in common. They both use tones and rhythms. And studies indicate that there is some overlap in the ways that the...
© 2018 – 2022 Gwen Dewar, Ph.D., all rights reserved #author-byline-block_628e8d310b009 .author-byline-text{ font-size: 16px; color: rgb(34, 34, 34); } 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...
© 2009 – 2022 Gwen Dewar, Ph.D., all rights reserved #author-byline-block_6233932cbf7d3 .author-byline-text{ font-size: 16px; color: rgb(34, 34, 34); } Could prenatal learning prompt babies to develop a liking for carrots? Or junk food? Or the flavor of alcohol? Experimental studies suggest that it’s possible. Flavors in a mother’s diet can...
© 2021 Gwen Dewar, Ph.D., all rights reserved 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. Decades ago, people underestimated...
© 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...
© 2008 – 2021 Gwen Dewar, Ph.D., all rights reserved A preschool science experiment is an opportunity to introduce children to the concepts of observation, prediction, and testing (Gelman and Brenneman 2004). Exciting? Yes. But it’s also tricky. On the one hand, research suggests that young children don’t think as...
© 2009 – 2021 Gwen Dewar, Ph.D., all rights reserved What are the effects of television on language learning? Studies report a link between TV and language development in young children. The more time kids spend watching television, the more slowly they learn to talk. What’s going on? Some people...
© 2021 Gwen Dewar, Ph.D., all rights reserved Experts recommend that kids get at least 60 minutes of moderate-to-vigorous exercise each day. Why? Such activities are crucial for cardiovascular health. But exercise for children is important for other reasons too. It appears to stimulate brain growth. It helps kids focus,...
© 2021 Gwen Dewar, all rights reserved Why do we fall for fallacies? Why do we get duped by lies? It isn’t because we lack brain power, and it isn’t because we are helpless to overcome our own biases. Instead, what’s really crucial is whether we take the time to...
