Kids of all ages are being affected by school closures brought on by the novel coronavirus pandemic. For school-age children, the transition to home-schooling and remote learning can be jarring and challenge their developing executive function skills. This period of social isolation and school disruption can be a good opportunity for parents to engage with…
Cultivating Cognitive Skills During the Coronavirus Quarantine: Working with Preschoolers
Many of our daily routines have been disrupted by the novel coronavirus pandemic. As we adjust to social distancing and working remotely, we also need to adjust to our kids being home from school. For older children, staying home might mean connecting to classes digitally whereas for younger children, staying home might leave parents scrambling…
Parent Newsletter – March 2019
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…
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…
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…
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…
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…
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…
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…