Although the long-term consequences of childhood obesity are well documented, some school districts have reduced physical education classes to devote more time to the 3 Rs in education—reading, writing, and arithmetic.
However, there is new evidence that leaving out an important fourth R—aerobics—could actually be counterproductive for increasing test scores. A new study scheduled for publication in The Journal of Pediatrics studied the associations between aerobic fitness, body mass index (BMI), and passing scores on standardized math and reading tests.
Although obesity is a concern for children, this study shows that aerobic fitness can have a greater effect on academic performance than weight. The authors found that both aerobic fitness and socioeconomic status have a similar impact on academic performance. Because aerobic fitness can be easier to improve than socioeconomic status, and it is easy to implement in a school setting, schools should think twice before taking minutes from physical education classes and recess. According to Dr. Rauner, “Schools sacrificing physical education and physical activity time in search of more seat time for math and reading instruction could potentially be pursuing a counterproductive approach.”
February 28, 2013
Action Video Games Boost Reading Skills, Study of Children With Dyslexia Suggests
Much to the chagrin of parents who think their kids should spend less time playing video games and more time studying, time spent playing action video games can actually make dyslexic children read better.
In fact, 12 hours of video game play did more for reading skills than is normally achieved with a year of spontaneous reading development or demanding traditional reading treatments.
The evidence, appearing in the Cell Press journal Current Biology on February 28, follows from earlier work by the same team linking dyslexia to early problems with visual attention rather than language skills.
"Action video games enhance many aspects of visual attention, mainly improving the extraction of information from the environment"...
In fact, 12 hours of video game play did more for reading skills than is normally achieved with a year of spontaneous reading development or demanding traditional reading treatments.
The evidence, appearing in the Cell Press journal Current Biology on February 28, follows from earlier work by the same team linking dyslexia to early problems with visual attention rather than language skills.
"Action video games enhance many aspects of visual attention, mainly improving the extraction of information from the environment"...
February 27, 2013
First grade math skills set foundation for later math ability
Children who failed to acquire a basic math skill in first grade scored far behind their peers by seventh grade on a test of the mathematical abilities needed to function in adult life, according to researchers supported by the National Institutes of Health.
The basic math skill, number system knowledge, is the ability to relate a quantity to the numerical symbol that represents it, and to manipulate quantities and make calculations. This skill is the basis for all other mathematics abilities, including those necessary for functioning as an adult member of society, a concept called numeracy.
The researchers reported that early efforts to help children overcome difficulty in acquiring number system knowledge could have significant long-term benefits. They noted that more than 20 percent of U.S. adults do not have the eighth grade math skills needed to function in the workplace.
“An early grasp of quantities and numbers appears to be the foundation on which we build more complex understandings of numbers and calculations..."
The basic math skill, number system knowledge, is the ability to relate a quantity to the numerical symbol that represents it, and to manipulate quantities and make calculations. This skill is the basis for all other mathematics abilities, including those necessary for functioning as an adult member of society, a concept called numeracy.
The researchers reported that early efforts to help children overcome difficulty in acquiring number system knowledge could have significant long-term benefits. They noted that more than 20 percent of U.S. adults do not have the eighth grade math skills needed to function in the workplace.
“An early grasp of quantities and numbers appears to be the foundation on which we build more complex understandings of numbers and calculations..."
Praising Children for Their Personal Qualities May Backfire
Praising children... for their
personal qualities rather than their efforts may make them feel more
ashamed when they fail, according to new research published by the
American Psychological Association.
“This type of personal praise may backfire. What may seem like common sense can sometimes lead adults astray in their attempts to help children with low self-esteem feel better about themselves."
The study found that children with low self-esteem often received praise for their personal qualities, and that type of praise can trigger greater feelings of shame from failure and may lead to a diminished sense of self-worth.
“This type of personal praise may backfire. What may seem like common sense can sometimes lead adults astray in their attempts to help children with low self-esteem feel better about themselves."
The study found that children with low self-esteem often received praise for their personal qualities, and that type of praise can trigger greater feelings of shame from failure and may lead to a diminished sense of self-worth.
FOR KIDS: Cool Jobs: Museum science
When deadly virus outbreaks occur, scientists want to know where the disease is coming from and how to stop it. In their search for answers, some will pay a visit to their local museum.
They are not trying to take their minds off the outbreak. Instead, they come to sift through the museum’s historic collections, looking for clues that might help them save lives.
In fact, researchers in a broad range of fields have been looking to museum specimens for solutions to new questions in science. Here we get to know three teams using old samples to solve science-based puzzles.
They are not trying to take their minds off the outbreak. Instead, they come to sift through the museum’s historic collections, looking for clues that might help them save lives.
In fact, researchers in a broad range of fields have been looking to museum specimens for solutions to new questions in science. Here we get to know three teams using old samples to solve science-based puzzles.
February 26, 2013
Sleep Reinforces Learning — Especially for Children
During sleep, our brains store what we have learned during the day ‒ a process even more effective in children than in adults
It is important for children to get enough sleep.
Children’s brains transform subconsciously learned material into active knowledge while they sleep – even more effectively than adult brains do.
Children sleep longer and deeper, and they must take on enormous amounts of information every day.
In the current study, the researchers examined the ability to form explicit knowledge via an implicitly-learned motor task. Children between 8 and 11, and young adults, learned to guess the predetermined series of actions – without being aware of the existence of the series itself.
Following a night of sleep or a day awake, the subjects’ memories were tested. The result: after a night’s sleep, both age groups could remember a larger number of elements from the row of numbers than those who had remained awake in the interim.
And the children were much better at it than the adults.
Children’s brains transform subconsciously learned material into active knowledge while they sleep – even more effectively than adult brains do.
Children sleep longer and deeper, and they must take on enormous amounts of information every day.
In the current study, the researchers examined the ability to form explicit knowledge via an implicitly-learned motor task. Children between 8 and 11, and young adults, learned to guess the predetermined series of actions – without being aware of the existence of the series itself.
Following a night of sleep or a day awake, the subjects’ memories were tested. The result: after a night’s sleep, both age groups could remember a larger number of elements from the row of numbers than those who had remained awake in the interim.
And the children were much better at it than the adults.
February 25, 2013
Girls perform as well as boys in math competitions
Supposed gender gap just a product of first-round nerves
The idea that boys are better at math and in competitions has persisted for a long time, and now we know why: Nobody bothered to schedule the rematch.
Most school math contests are one-shot events where girls underperform relative to their male classmates. But a new study by a Brigham Young University economist presents a different picture.
Twenty-four local elementary schools changed the format to go across five different rounds. Once the first round was over, girls performed as well or better than boys for the rest of the contest.
“It’s really encouraging that seemingly large gaps disappear just by keeping them in the game longer."
The idea that boys are better at math and in competitions has persisted for a long time, and now we know why: Nobody bothered to schedule the rematch.
Most school math contests are one-shot events where girls underperform relative to their male classmates. But a new study by a Brigham Young University economist presents a different picture.
Twenty-four local elementary schools changed the format to go across five different rounds. Once the first round was over, girls performed as well or better than boys for the rest of the contest.
“It’s really encouraging that seemingly large gaps disappear just by keeping them in the game longer."
Boys’ Lack of Effort in School Tied to College Gender Gap
“The world has changed around boys, and they have not adapted as well as girls,” said Claudia Buchmann, a professor of sociology at Ohio State University and co-author of The Rise of Women: The Growing Gender Gap in Education and What it Means for American Schools (Russell Sage Foundation, 2013).
Some commentators blame schools and argue that schools have become too “feminized” and don’t support the way that boys learn. Some have asserted that single-sex education is the best way to help improve boys’ academic achievement.
[T]here’s little evidence to support these arguments
“But what is striking is that at every level of cognitive ability, boys are getting lower grades than girls. It is not about ability – it is about effort and engagement,” Buchmann said.
“Success in academics, like success in sports, requires time and effort. Because boys put forth less effort and are less engaged, they get lower grades and are less likely to get through college,” Buchmann said.
Some commentators blame schools and argue that schools have become too “feminized” and don’t support the way that boys learn. Some have asserted that single-sex education is the best way to help improve boys’ academic achievement.
[T]here’s little evidence to support these arguments
“But what is striking is that at every level of cognitive ability, boys are getting lower grades than girls. It is not about ability – it is about effort and engagement,” Buchmann said.
“Success in academics, like success in sports, requires time and effort. Because boys put forth less effort and are less engaged, they get lower grades and are less likely to get through college,” Buchmann said.
February 21, 2013
FOR KIDS: Meteor explodes over Russia
Mother Nature provided a surprise light show over Russia early on
February 14. That’s when a major meteor entered Earth’s atmosphere.
The object was originally 17 meters (55 feet) in diameter. That’s as wide as a 5-story building is high. It had also weighed a whopping 10,000 metric tons, according to the National Aeronautics and Space Administration NASA).
The meteor was traveling about 65,000 kilometers (40,000 miles) per hour. It created a brilliant streak as it traveled across the sky for nearly 33 seconds. The meteor then exploded about 20 to 25 kilometers (12 to 15 miles) above Earth’s surface.
The object was originally 17 meters (55 feet) in diameter. That’s as wide as a 5-story building is high. It had also weighed a whopping 10,000 metric tons, according to the National Aeronautics and Space Administration NASA).
The meteor was traveling about 65,000 kilometers (40,000 miles) per hour. It created a brilliant streak as it traveled across the sky for nearly 33 seconds. The meteor then exploded about 20 to 25 kilometers (12 to 15 miles) above Earth’s surface.
FOR KIDS: Fancy feather gene
What a difference a gene makes! For pigeons, one gene can make or break the appearance of fancy feathers.
Many pigeons have crests or collars, tufts of feathers on the head or neck that appear to go the wrong way. They point up toward the head instead of down toward the tail.
This funny feature decorates many different pigeon breeds, but all of those birds have one thing in common: a genetic change.
Many pigeons have crests or collars, tufts of feathers on the head or neck that appear to go the wrong way. They point up toward the head instead of down toward the tail.
This funny feature decorates many different pigeon breeds, but all of those birds have one thing in common: a genetic change.
February 20, 2013
Bilingual children have a better “working memory” than monolingual children
A study conducted at the University of Granada
and the University of York in Toronto, Canada, has revealed that
bilingual children develop a better working memory – which holds,
processes and updates information over short periods of time– than
monolingual children.
The working memory plays a major role in the execution of a wide range of activities, such as mental calculation (since we have to remember numbers and operate with them) or reading comprehension (given that it requires associating the successive concepts in a text).
The working memory plays a major role in the execution of a wide range of activities, such as mental calculation (since we have to remember numbers and operate with them) or reading comprehension (given that it requires associating the successive concepts in a text).
Can Breakfast Make Kids Smarter?
New research from the University of Pennsylvania School of Nursing has found that children who regularly have breakfast on a near-daily basis had significantly higher full scale, verbal, and performance IQ test scores.
In one of the first studies to examine IQ and breakfast consumption, researchers examined data from 1,269 children six years old in China, where breakfast is highly valued, and concluded that children who did not eat breakfast regularly had 5.58 points lower verbal, 2.50 points lower performance, and 4.6 points lower total IQ scores than children who often or always ate breakfast after adjusting for seven sociodemographic confounders.
“Childhood is a critical period in which dietary and lifestyle patterns are initiated, and these habits can have important immediate and long-term implications,” said lead author Jianghong Liu, PhD, RN, FAAN, associate professor at Penn Nursing.
“Breakfast habits appear to be no exception, and irregular breakfast eating has already been associated with a number of unhealthy behaviors, such as smoking, frequent alcohol use, and infrequent exercise.”
At age 6, a child’s cognitive ability as both the verbal and performance levels is rapidly developing. Both the nutritional and social aspects of breakfast play a role.
In one of the first studies to examine IQ and breakfast consumption, researchers examined data from 1,269 children six years old in China, where breakfast is highly valued, and concluded that children who did not eat breakfast regularly had 5.58 points lower verbal, 2.50 points lower performance, and 4.6 points lower total IQ scores than children who often or always ate breakfast after adjusting for seven sociodemographic confounders.
“Childhood is a critical period in which dietary and lifestyle patterns are initiated, and these habits can have important immediate and long-term implications,” said lead author Jianghong Liu, PhD, RN, FAAN, associate professor at Penn Nursing.
“Breakfast habits appear to be no exception, and irregular breakfast eating has already been associated with a number of unhealthy behaviors, such as smoking, frequent alcohol use, and infrequent exercise.”
At age 6, a child’s cognitive ability as both the verbal and performance levels is rapidly developing. Both the nutritional and social aspects of breakfast play a role.
'Language Gene' More Active in Young Girls Than Boys
Despite recent progress toward sexual equality, it's still a man's world
in many ways. But numerous studies show that when it comes to language,
girls
start off with better skills than boys.
Now, scientists studying a gene linked to the evolution of vocalizations and language have for the first time found clear sex differences in its activity in both rodents and humans, with the gene making more of its protein in girls.
But some researchers caution against drawing too many conclusions about the gene's role in human and animal communication from this study.
Now, scientists studying a gene linked to the evolution of vocalizations and language have for the first time found clear sex differences in its activity in both rodents and humans, with the gene making more of its protein in girls.
But some researchers caution against drawing too many conclusions about the gene's role in human and animal communication from this study.
February 19, 2013
Researchers discover a biological marker of dyslexia
Ability to consistently encode sound undergirds the reading process
Though learning to read proceeds smoothly for most children, as many as one in 10 is estimated to suffer from dyslexia, a constellation of impairments unrelated to intelligence, hearing or vision that make learning to read a struggle. Now, Northwestern University researchers report they have found a biological mechanism that appears to play an important role in the reading process.
"We discovered a systematic relationship between reading ability and the consistency with which the brain encodes sounds," says Nina Kraus, Hugh Knowles Professor of Neurobiology, Physiology and Communication. "Unstable Representation of Sound: A Biological Marker of Dyslexia," co-authored by Jane Hornickel, will appear in the Feb. 20 issue of The Journal of Neuroscience.
Recording the automatic brain wave responses of 100 school-aged children to speech sounds, the Northwestern researchers found that the very best readers encoded the sound most consistently while the poorest readers encoded it with the greatest inconsistency.
Presumably, the brain's response to sound stabilizes when children learn to successfully connect sounds with their meanings.
Though learning to read proceeds smoothly for most children, as many as one in 10 is estimated to suffer from dyslexia, a constellation of impairments unrelated to intelligence, hearing or vision that make learning to read a struggle. Now, Northwestern University researchers report they have found a biological mechanism that appears to play an important role in the reading process.
"We discovered a systematic relationship between reading ability and the consistency with which the brain encodes sounds," says Nina Kraus, Hugh Knowles Professor of Neurobiology, Physiology and Communication. "Unstable Representation of Sound: A Biological Marker of Dyslexia," co-authored by Jane Hornickel, will appear in the Feb. 20 issue of The Journal of Neuroscience.
Recording the automatic brain wave responses of 100 school-aged children to speech sounds, the Northwestern researchers found that the very best readers encoded the sound most consistently while the poorest readers encoded it with the greatest inconsistency.
Presumably, the brain's response to sound stabilizes when children learn to successfully connect sounds with their meanings.
Is there a link between childhood obesity and ADHD, learning disabilities?
A
University of Illinois study has established a possible link between
high-fat diets and such childhood brain-based conditions as attention
deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) and memory-dependent learning
disabilities
“We
found that a high-fat diet rapidly affected dopamine metabolism in the
brains of juvenile mice, triggering anxious behaviors and learning
deficiencies. Interestingly, when methylphenidate (Ritalin) was
administered, the learning and memory problems went away,” said Gregory
Freund, a professor in the U of I College of Medicine and a member of
the university’s Division of Nutritional Sciences.
The research was published in Psychoneuroendocrinology and is available pre-publication online at http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.psyneuen.2013.01.004.
Children with auditory processing disorder may now have more treatment options
Several Kansas State University faculty members are helping children
with auditory processing disorder receive better treatment.
Auditory processing disorder affects how the brain processes language. Children and adults with auditory processing disorder have normal hearing sensitivity and will pass a hearing test, but their brains do not appropriately process what they hear.
"A lot of therapy targets these skills," Burnett said. "It's almost like relaying the road in the brain that deals with auditory information. For whatever reason, it didn't develop properly, so the therapy is about reworking these skills."
Auditory processing disorder affects how the brain processes language. Children and adults with auditory processing disorder have normal hearing sensitivity and will pass a hearing test, but their brains do not appropriately process what they hear.
"A lot of therapy targets these skills," Burnett said. "It's almost like relaying the road in the brain that deals with auditory information. For whatever reason, it didn't develop properly, so the therapy is about reworking these skills."
February 18, 2013
Excessive TV in childhood linked to long-term antisocial behaviour
Children and adolescents who watch a lot of television are more likely to manifest antisocial and criminal behaviour when they become adults, according to a new University of Otago, New Zealand, study published online in the US journal Pediatrics.
The study followed a group of around 1000 children born in the New Zealand city of Dunedin in 1972-73. Every two years between the ages of 5 and 15, they were asked how much television they watched.
Those who watched more television were more likely to have a criminal conviction and were also more likely to have antisocial personality traits in adulthood.
Study co-author Associate Professor Bob Hancox of the University's Department of Preventive and Social Medicine says he and colleagues found that the risk of having a criminal conviction by early adulthood increased by about 30% with every hour that children spent watching TV on an average weeknight.
The study followed a group of around 1000 children born in the New Zealand city of Dunedin in 1972-73. Every two years between the ages of 5 and 15, they were asked how much television they watched.
Those who watched more television were more likely to have a criminal conviction and were also more likely to have antisocial personality traits in adulthood.
Study co-author Associate Professor Bob Hancox of the University's Department of Preventive and Social Medicine says he and colleagues found that the risk of having a criminal conviction by early adulthood increased by about 30% with every hour that children spent watching TV on an average weeknight.
It may be educational, but what is that TV show really teaching your preschooler?
Most parents carefully select what television programs and movies their children can watch. But a study in the latest Journal of Applied Developmental Psychology
found that even educational shows could come with an added lesson that
influences a child’s behavior.
“Children who spent more time watching educational programs increased their relational aggression toward other children over initial levels. This study shows that children can learn more than one lesson out of a given program. They can learn the educational lesson that was intended, but they’re also learning other things along the way.”
This unintended impact has to do with the portrayal of conflict in media and how preschool-age children comprehend that conflict.
“Children who spent more time watching educational programs increased their relational aggression toward other children over initial levels. This study shows that children can learn more than one lesson out of a given program. They can learn the educational lesson that was intended, but they’re also learning other things along the way.”
This unintended impact has to do with the portrayal of conflict in media and how preschool-age children comprehend that conflict.
Excessive TV in childhood linked to long-term antisocial behaviour
Children and adolescents who watch a lot of television are more likely to manifest antisocial and criminal behaviour when they become adults, according to a new University of Otago, New Zealand, study published online in the US journal Pediatrics.
The study followed a group of around 1000 children born in the New Zealand city of Dunedin in 1972-73. Every two years between the ages of 5 and 15, they were asked how much television they watched. Those who watched more television were more likely to have a criminal conviction and were also more likely to have antisocial personality traits in adulthood.
Study co-author Associate Professor Bob Hancox of the University's Department of Preventive and Social Medicine says he and colleagues found that the risk of having a criminal conviction by early adulthood increased by about 30% with every hour that children spent watching TV on an average weeknight.
The study also found that watching more television in childhood was associated, in adulthood, with aggressive personality traits, an increased tendency to experience negative emotions, and an increased risk of antisocial personality disorder; a psychiatric disorder characterised by persistent patterns of aggressive and antisocial behaviour.
The researchers found that the relationship between TV viewing and antisocial behaviour was not explained by socio-economic status, aggressive or antisocial behaviour in early childhood, or parenting factors.
A study co-author, Lindsay Robertson, says it is not that children who were already antisocial watched more television. "Rather, children who watched a lot of television were likely to go on to manifest antisocial behaviour and personality traits."
Other studies have suggested a link between television viewing and antisocial behaviour, though very few have been able to demonstrate a cause-and-effect sequence. This is the first 'real-life' study that has asked about TV viewing throughout the whole childhood period, and has looked at a range of antisocial outcomes in adulthood. As an observational study, it cannot prove that watching too much television caused the antisocial outcomes, but the findings are consistent with most of the research and provides further evidence that excessive television can have long-term consequences for behaviour.
"Antisocial behaviour is a major problem for society. While we're not saying that television causes all antisocial behaviour, our findings do suggest that reducing TV viewing could go some way towards reducing rates of antisocial behaviour in society," says Associate Professor Hancox.
The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends that children should watch no more than 1 to 2 hours of quality television programming each day. The researchers say their findings support the idea that parents should try to limit their children's television use.
The study followed a group of around 1000 children born in the New Zealand city of Dunedin in 1972-73. Every two years between the ages of 5 and 15, they were asked how much television they watched. Those who watched more television were more likely to have a criminal conviction and were also more likely to have antisocial personality traits in adulthood.
Study co-author Associate Professor Bob Hancox of the University's Department of Preventive and Social Medicine says he and colleagues found that the risk of having a criminal conviction by early adulthood increased by about 30% with every hour that children spent watching TV on an average weeknight.
The study also found that watching more television in childhood was associated, in adulthood, with aggressive personality traits, an increased tendency to experience negative emotions, and an increased risk of antisocial personality disorder; a psychiatric disorder characterised by persistent patterns of aggressive and antisocial behaviour.
The researchers found that the relationship between TV viewing and antisocial behaviour was not explained by socio-economic status, aggressive or antisocial behaviour in early childhood, or parenting factors.
A study co-author, Lindsay Robertson, says it is not that children who were already antisocial watched more television. "Rather, children who watched a lot of television were likely to go on to manifest antisocial behaviour and personality traits."
Other studies have suggested a link between television viewing and antisocial behaviour, though very few have been able to demonstrate a cause-and-effect sequence. This is the first 'real-life' study that has asked about TV viewing throughout the whole childhood period, and has looked at a range of antisocial outcomes in adulthood. As an observational study, it cannot prove that watching too much television caused the antisocial outcomes, but the findings are consistent with most of the research and provides further evidence that excessive television can have long-term consequences for behaviour.
"Antisocial behaviour is a major problem for society. While we're not saying that television causes all antisocial behaviour, our findings do suggest that reducing TV viewing could go some way towards reducing rates of antisocial behaviour in society," says Associate Professor Hancox.
The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends that children should watch no more than 1 to 2 hours of quality television programming each day. The researchers say their findings support the idea that parents should try to limit their children's television use.
February 15, 2013
Hearing Music as Beautiful Is a Learned Trait
Why does the music that to some people is lovely, even transcendent, sound to others like a lot of noise?
The ability to identify tones and thus enjoy harmonies was positively correlated with musical training. Said study co-author Sarah Wilson, "This showed us that even the ability to hear a musical pitch (or note) is learned."
From a practical standpoint, the results seem to suggest that we can train ourselves to better appreciate music. This includes that of unfamiliar traditions, which, assuming this is not just a clever way of promoting the Melbourne Conservatorium of Music, is great news for those who've been wanting to get into jazz.
And in fact, the researchers conducted a second experiment to test the validity of that theory...
The ability to identify tones and thus enjoy harmonies was positively correlated with musical training. Said study co-author Sarah Wilson, "This showed us that even the ability to hear a musical pitch (or note) is learned."
From a practical standpoint, the results seem to suggest that we can train ourselves to better appreciate music. This includes that of unfamiliar traditions, which, assuming this is not just a clever way of promoting the Melbourne Conservatorium of Music, is great news for those who've been wanting to get into jazz.
And in fact, the researchers conducted a second experiment to test the validity of that theory...
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