Here's today's feel-good story:
Scientists have spent years developing research into what children need to grow, learn, and thrive.
Brenna Hassinger-Das, assistant professor of psychology at Pace University-NYC, and Jennifer Zosh, professor of human development and family studies at Penn State Brandywin have explored real, science-backed pillars of learning and examples of environments that are best suited for children to learn.
“We know kids in Western countries spend only 20% of their time at school, so where are they for the other 80%?” Hassinger-Das said. “They’re at home, or in the grocery store, or the park. How can we transform those everyday spaces to encourage playful learning and promote conversations between caregivers and children? We wanted to maximize these spaces and turn them into places that are fun but also support the kind of learning you do in school.”
The study has broken down the tips into 6 pillars of child learning and engagement essentials: Active, Engaged, Meaningful, Socially Interactive, Iterative, and Joyful.