Exposure To Diverse Object Helps Toddlers Learn More Rapidly

A study made by the University of Iowa suggested that a child of 18-months of age playing with the diverse object is more prone to learn new words much more faster in comparison to those who played with more similar objects with lesser speed.

Outside the lab, one month after the training, tots who had been exposed to the diverse objects were learning an average of nearly 10 new words per week. Kids in the other group were picking up four a week - typical for children that age without any special training.

Dyslexia - Causes, Symptoms, Diagnosis, Treatment
Dyslexia is a reading disability that occurs when the brain does not properly recognize and process certain symbols.

All of the children given extra training with words figured out that shape was the most important distinguishing feature when learning to name solid objects. This attention to shape, called a 'shape bias,' is not typically seen until later in development.

However, the researchers believed that kids exposed to more variety took the knowledge a step further, also learning when not to attend to shape.

"Knowing where to direct their attention helps them learn words more quickly overall," said lead author Lynn Perry.

Dyscalculia / Learning Disabilities - Mathematics
Dyscalculia is a learning disability involving mathematics. Recognized by The WHO, it affects nearly 4 – 7% of the world population. If you have dyscalculia it tends to affect every aspect of your life.

"The shape bias enhances vocabulary development because most of the words young kids learn early on are names of categories organized by similarity in shape. And, developing the ability to disregard shape for non-solids helps them learn words like pudding, Jell-O or milk," said Perry.

The study involved 16 children who knew about 17 object names when the study began. Half of the kids were taught names of objects by playing with groups of toys that were nearly identical; the other half used toys that differed significantly - for example, a small, cloth, jack-o-lantern bucket; a trash bucket with no handle; and a traditional plastic bucket.

Chewing Gum Improves Learning, Claims German School
Children in a primary school in southern Germany are encouraged to chew gum as the school authorities believe that it helps to improve grades.

When tested on unfamiliar objects that fit into the categories they'd been taught - such as a bucket they'd never seen before - kids in the variable group performed better.

"We believe the variable training gave them a better idea of what a bucket was. They discovered that the buckets were all alike in general shape, but that having a handle or being a particular texture didn't matter," said Perry.

Learning Disabilities in Kids Linked to High Blood Pressure
Children who have hypertension are much more likely to have learning disabilities than children with normal blood pressure, a new study by University of Rochester Medical Center (URMC) has indicated.

In additional tests, researchers looked at whether the tots learned names of new objects by focusing on substance or shape.

The findings were published in the journal Psychological Science.

Source-ANI