Our first Parent Newsletter of 2019 is available here: v4.1 March 2019 Q1 Learn more about Goldilocks Parenting, Executive Function’s Role in ADD/ADHD, and Social-Emotional Development.
Agency Development, Literacy, & Numeracy
The Science of Early Learning summarizes current developmental cognitive research on agency development, literacy, and numeracy in young children, birth through age eight. The report was developed by Deans for Impact in collaboration with Dylan Kane and Callie Lowenstein, practicing teachers; Rachel Robertson of Bright Horizons; Dr. Daniel Ansari of Western University; Dr. Stephanie Carlson…
December 18, 2018
Support Executive Function: Parents’ EF matters too!
Previously we have talked about how parents can support executive function (EF) development in young children. Specifically, parenting behaviors that are “autonomy-supportive,” meaning they actively support a child’s goals, efforts, and choices, are related to children’s EF skills. What does an autonomy-supportive parent look like in everyday life? Let’s think of an example of a…
November 19, 2018
Surprising Results from the Marshmallow Test
The Federal Reserve Bank of Minneapolis recently posted their recording of their Fall Education Conference featuring Dr. Stephanie Carlson‘s surprising research on children’s ability to delay gratification and the Marshmallow Test. In her presentation, Dr. Carlson discusses the long-term outcomes associated with the ability to delay gratification in the early years as well as the…
October 17, 2018
Non-Profit Resources Resources for Clinicians Resources for Educators Resources for Parents Resources for Researchers
Achievement Gap & Child-Parent Centers
Four-year-old Lola lives with her mother and three siblings in an impoverished, high-crime neighborhood, where even walking to school can be dangerous. Lola’s mother works two jobs, but as a single parent, she barely earns enough to pay for childcare and living expenses. Lola’s mother notices that Lola has trouble managing her emotions and following…
October 2, 2018
Does the Batman Effect help some children more than others?
The tennis ball hits the net for the fifth time in a row. You are discouraged and want to give up. But then you picture Serena Williams serving the ball flawlessly over the net. You picture her form, her swing, the racket’s contact with the ball, and her follow through. Thinking about how Serena would…
October 1, 2018
Preschool Promise Measures Executive Function
The Preschool Promise program, a nonprofit serving Dayton, OH area preschoolers and their families, is closing the achievement gap through school readiness, equity, and resources. The program concentrates on a prominent issue experienced not only in the Dayton community but across a number of US communities: that far too many African-American and Appalachian preschoolers do…
August 21, 2018
Language and Executive Function
Language and executive function skills are both critical to a child’s development. But did you know they are related to each other in important ways? Language development and executive function (EF) skills have a reciprocal relationship, meaning each relies on the other for optimal growth. EF skills represent a set of cognitive processes that underlie…
July 2, 2018
Routines and Executive Function
The hustle and bustle of everyday routines may seem like a lot to keep track of. Whether you are shuttling your child from soccer practice to music lesson or coordinating the daily task of getting the family ready for dinner, our lives are filled with routines and activities. Although some research has suggested that too…
June 26, 2018
Cohort Effects on Delay of Gratification
The Marshmallow Test is conceivably one of the most prominent developmental research studies on delay of gratification. In the late 1960s to early 70s, American Psychologist and Stanford University Professor, Dr. Walter Mischel, and his team sat children down at a table and placed a marshmallow (or other treat chosen by the child) in front of…