Article by Phin Upham
Preschool is designed to prepare children for kindergarten, but teaching them the alphabet and how to count to 10 is not everything. A new study reveals that the environment of the classroom along with the teacher’s attitude can greatly impact a four-year-old’s future academic development, Science Daily reports.
Dale Farran, senior associate director of the Peabody Research Institute at Vanderbilt’s Peabody College for education and human development, told the paper that most children have a hard time remembering information or paying attention – self-regulating skills, or executive functioning. While a positive tone in the classroom doesn’t affect social development, Farran says that it does help them pay attention, remember, and persist when a task becomes difficult.
Farran also told the paper that “Children acquire better cognitive learning skills in a classroom infused with ‘positive affective interactions.’” The research also found that some behaviors actually reduce their ability to self-regulate.
Read the full article here: http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2013/09/130909130944.htm
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About the Author: Phin Upham is an investor from NYC and SF. For more info visit Phin Uphan Facebook page.