Children compensate for lack of concentration through creativity

Aug 24, 2022 | Testimonials

Young children find it hard to concentrate for long on tasks but are often good at discovering hidden “tricks” to make the task easier. Spontaneous strategy changes help them to do this, according to a study on learning behaviour in children by the Max Planck Institute for Human Development in Berlin.

As we know, it takes a while before our brains grow enough to enable us to concentrate as well as adults.  Children’s attention span is short and they remember less of a task than adults do. As a result—so far assumed—they have a disadvantage when solving tasks. However, a study by the Max Planck Research Group “NeuroCode—Neural and Computational Basis of Learning, Memory and Decision Making” at the Max Planck Institute for Human Development now shows that a child’s broader attentional focus  (rather than a pinpointed focus on a task) can also prove to be an advantage: children are good at processing less relevant information and using it to spontaneously find new and creative strategies when solving tasks.

Adults, too, show spontaneous strategy changes when solving tasks, similar to so-called “aha-moments” that make solving a task easier. The journal article, published in the journal PLOS ONE, shows that while children perform significantly worse when solving tasks using traditional strategies, such as focused attention, they are just as likely as adults to master tasks using spontaneous strategy shifts.

“Our results show that while children are often less focused and more easily distracted than adults, they are surprisingly flexible in discovering entirely new solutions,” says psychologist and neuroscientist Nicolas Schuck, group leader of the Max Planck Research Group NeuroCode.  “Especially considering their not fully developed ability to concentrate, these are important results for researching learning behaviour in children,” Schuck added.

The study, which has been ongoing since 2013, used the following method to conduct research: 47 children between the ages of 8 and 10 and 39 young adults between the ages of 20 and 35 were asked to perform the same decision-making task. In this task, they were asked to determine the position of a pattern using two possible answers. The colour of the pattern was not initially relevant to the correct answer, but began to be associated with the correct answer as the task progressed. When participants noticed this, they were able to solve the task much more efficiently and easily. The participants were not informed that there would be other factors influencing the possible solution strategies and could only identify them independently. 

Compared to the young adults, the children generally performed significantly worse in solving the task. They had more incorrect and premature answers. However, the proportion of children (27.5%) who discovered and then used the helpful colour strategy was very similar to that of the young adults (28.2%).

As long as children only used the initial strategies and rules available, which required concentration and persistence, they performed worse. However, just as many children as young adults discovered and used the colour rule. Thus, although children performed worse in all areas of cognitive control, an almost equal proportion of them compared to the young adults were able to improve through an “aha moment”, and thus gained a similar performance advantage as the adult group.

The newfound knowledge around the “aha moment” is an important finding of the study. “Our findings provide evidence that educators, parents, and teachers should be less insistent on rigid rules, and only teach the one concrete way to solve problems, but also value and encourage children’s broader attentional focus. Our findings show: We can have more confidence in children’s creative problem-solving strategies,” says Anika Löwe of the NeuroCode team and co-author of the study. In the future, she says, in the field of cognitive developmental psychology, there should be more research on creative processes rather than on lack of concentration in children.

How can you supply a healthy school lunch on a budget?

Aug 18, 2022 | Testimonials

The cost of everything is rising these days and most of us are feeling the pinch.   At the same time, we are well aware that we owe it to our children to supply them with the best nutrition possible, not only for their growing bodies but for their developing brains.

Courtney Cary, senior registered dietitian in the Department of Medicine-Gastroenterology and Hepatology at Baylor College of Medicine, provides tips for a nutritious lunch that will not be too expensive to provide.   

Focus on nutritional building blocks

Cary recommends that a school lunch be built around foods that will provide sustained energy. When money is tight, she suggests concentrating on the basic nutritional building blocks—proteins and carbohydrates.

• High-fibre carbohydrates: whole wheat bread, brown rice, whole wheat pasta, beans and fruit
• Lean proteins: chicken, lean meat and tinned tuna, sardines or pilchards, a boiled egg, yogurt, peanut butter. Cheese, including cottage cheese, is good as well.

“As long as there’s a protein and a carbohydrate in your child’s lunchbox, they will be set up for a successful day,” Cary said. “Carbohydrates give us energy, and proteins keep us full.”

Sandwiches are a great option for a cost-effective, balanced meal, Cary said. Whole wheat bread provides fibre and sustained energy. Fillings like peanut butter and jam are filling as well as being healthy.

Cut costs with healthy canned foods

Canned food provides the same nutritional value as fresh food, Cary said, and can be a good way to save money. She recommends low-sodium soups and fruits and vegetables canned in water.  It is important to check the salt content of canned goods and avoid those that are high in salt/sodium.

“Canned products are picked at peak ripeness and canned immediately, which preserves the nutritional factor,” Cary said. “You’re not sacrificing vitamins and minerals with canned foods.”

Make sure lunch includes a sugar-free drink for hydration and to avoid a sugar crash in the afternoon.

“All foods belong in our diet, but we need to view them as energy,” Cary said. “For lunch, parents should look for foods that provide the most sustained energy to get their kids through the school day.”

Children’s eye health: What we need to consider

Aug 10, 2022 | Testimonials

Many of us have taken note of media reports on the impact of screen time on children’s vision and eye health.  Most of us may believe, as taught by past generations, that reading in poor light, sitting too close to a TV, and the blue light emitted from screens may be harmful for vision.   Inadequate reading light or sitting close to a screen can cause eye fatigue or strain, but they don’t do any permanent damage or result in long-term eye problems, said Sarah Clark, of the University of Michigan Health.

According to a poll on children’s health, undertaken by the University, some parents may have inaccurate perceptions of activities that affect their child’s eye health and vision and how to minimise risks.

Some experts have pointed to the combination of increased screen time and less time outdoors as factors that may put children at higher risk for developing myopia, or nearsightedness, which can lead to serious eye problems in the future. The rate of nearsightedness in children has increased dramatically in the past 30 years.

Research is ongoing but studies suggest outdoor time protects against myopia.

“Parents should encourage at least one to two hours of outdoor time per day because exposure to natural light benefits eye development,” Clark said.

Some research has also indicated associations between working up close—like reading or using a tablet—increasing the odds of myopia.

“It’s important time to think about myopia risks for children because kids with this condition often become more nearsighted over time,” said Olivia Killeen, M.D., ophthalmologist at U-M Health Kellogg Eye Center who consulted on the report.

“The age of myopia onset is the most significant predictor of severe myopia later in life.”

Using eyewear to minimize risks to children’s eyes

Another overlooked area of eye health—protecting little eyes from intense sunlight.

Less than a third of parents polled say wearing sunglasses when outdoors has a major impact on children’s vision and eye health, with just two in five having their child wear eyewear when outdoors.

In fact, when children are outdoors, they should wear sunglasses or wide-brimmed hats to decrease the risks of ultraviolet radiation damage, which can contribute to eye problems in older age, Clark says.

“While parents often make sure their children’s skin is protected with sunscreen, they may not think about protecting their eyes from the sun as well,” Clark said.

Many parents polled also skip steps that help minimize eye injuries during activities that include a risk of objects hitting the child’s eye at high speed or force, with less than a third of parents saying their child wears protective glasses or goggles during contact sports. 

However, most parents polled say children and teens wear protective glasses or goggles when doing activities that pose a risk of eye injuries, including working with tools and playing shooting games like Nerf guns or paintball.

Less than a third of parents say children wear glasses that block blue light emitted from TV and computer screens. While the amount of blue light does not damage eyes, it may impact circadian rhythms and make it harder for children to fall asleep. Experts recommend children stop blue light screen use at least one hour before bedtime.

And don’t forget the importance of vision tests.  “Children should get vision tests at least every two years to make sure eyes are developing properly,” Clark said.

“It’s important to identify and treat vision problems as early as possible, because undiagnosed issues can lead to serious eye conditions in the future, including permanent vision loss.”

Predictable and consistent parenting – why is this important for brain development?

Aug 3, 2022 | Testimonials

We all know that experiences in our early lives play a role in shaping how our brains mature and how we act in adulthood.  But, as Tallie Baram (writing for The Conversation) points out, scientists are struggling to find out why this happens.

In a study, recently published, Tallie’s team found that unpredictable or inconsistent parental behaviour can disrupt the development of a child’s emotional brain circuits. This can lead to an increased risk of mental illness and substance abuse later on in the child’s life.

Predictability and consistency

To work out what experiences or ‘signals’ affect how the brain’s emotional systems develop, the researchers took cues from how the brain’s sensory systems, like vision and hearing, develop. Environmental signals are important to sensory development. For example, if an infant is unable to see adequately because of a severe lazy eye, they may develop lifelong vision deficits. Similarly, an infant who is unable to make out the patterns and sequences of everyday sound due to frequent ear infections may develop lifelong hearing problems.

Because parents are often the primary source of the information an infant and young children receives from their environment, they thought it would be reasonable to assume that parental signals would be crucial to brain development. Previous research over the decades have found that a caretaker’s behaviours and how responsive they were to their child’s needs were important to the child’s emotional growth. An absence of responses, such as from neglect, was associated with increased risk for emotional problems later in life. 

While many studies have focused on the effects of “positive” or “negative” parental behaviours on child brain development, researchers have paid little attention to patterns of behaviour, or a parent’s predictability and consistency. A parent who is predictable and consistent is one who reacts to new situations, such as when their child has a mild fall or asks for a new toy, in the same way. In the long term, predictability also means that a child knows who will pick them up from school and when they can expect lunch, dinner or bedtime.

Attachment theory posits that a strong bond with a primary caregiver early in life is critical to child development.

Across all studies, which included animals and humans, the results showed that predictable parental behaviour patterns led to better emotional and cognitive functioning in their children later in life. While our studies have focused primarily on mothers, it is very likely that the same principles apply to fathers as well. 

The findings suggest it’s not just “positive” or “negative” parenting that affects a child’s development. It’s just as important for a child’s emotional brain development that their parents nurture them in predictable and consistent ways.

There are many adversities beyond a parent’s control that can impact their developing a child, such as poverty, traumatic events and war. However, being aware of the role that predictable and consistent behaviour plays in brain development can help parents create an optimal environment for their child as they grow emotionally.

Does it matter where your child sits in class?

Jul 27, 2022 | Testimonials

A new study from Florida Atlantic University is the first to show that where children are seated in class have important implications for their friendships. It underlines the enormous influence that teachers can have over the interpersonal lives of children.

Results of the study, published in the journal Frontiers in Psychology, revealed that friendships reflect classroom seating arrangements.  Learners sitting next to or nearby one another were more likely to be friends with one another than with those seated elsewhere in the classroom.  New friendships were also facilitated between children sitting close to one another. After seats changed, students were more likely to become friends with newly near-seated classmates than with those who remained or became seated farther away.

As the researchers pointed out, learners are not glued to their seats.  They interact with far-seated peers during breaks and during certain activities in some classes.  In spite of this, the fact that new friends tend to emerge among children newly near-seated shows the power of proximity in friendship formation.

Classroom proximity assumes outsized importance during the primary school years because children this age have few other sustained opportunities to meet (and engage with) friends and because companionship is central to the definition of friendship. It has long been known that most children report that most of their friends are in the same classroom. We now know that they are probably seated nearby.

In most primary school classrooms, teachers decide who sits next to whom and, by extension, who interacts with whom. This suggests that teachers have a responsibility to consider the interpersonal lives of children when they assign children to certain desks or table places.  They also have the ability to help those children who may be finding it difficult to make friends.