Dow Constantine, King County Executive, will develop a levy proposal for early childhood and other youth services. Constantine said he will work with community partners and other advisers to develop an initiative “Best Starts for Kids,” which he announced Sept. 22 as part of his budget plan for 2015 and 2016. The initiative’s website cites social, health and economic research findings from … Read More
Lessons on Learning From Inside Children’s Brains
The Seattle Times talks with I-LABS co-director Patricia Kuhl and other UW researchers who are studying brain development and literacy skills in children. The front page of the Monday, Sept. 22 Seattle Times features a story on UW research on what happens in the brain as children learn to speak, listen, read and write. The story is part of an education series … Read More
Visiting Expert in Infant Neuroscience and Social Development
Peter Marshall of Temple University will be studying how infants’ awareness of their own bodies serves as a building block for social interactions. Most infants’ lives are infused with love. Their families dote on them, providing ample amounts of food, cuddles and coos, all helping to establish attachment between caregivers and newborns. “These early caregiving bonds are the start to … Read More
Online Tutorial, ‘Understanding Emotions,’ Now Available
I-LABS’s latest free, online tool explains the science behind children’s social-emotional development. A toddler may fall down, and then look to see if her parent is upset before deciding whether to cry. Or a child watching someone else receive a scolding may change his own behavior to avoid a similar reprimand. These examples give real-world glimpses into children’s social-emotional development, … Read More
Q&A with Patricia Kuhl on her Inaugural Article in PNAS
In a Q&A with the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, I-LABS’ Patricia Kuhl talks about how babies fine tune their speech perception. The Q&A, tied to Kuhl’s research paper published by PNAS in July, touches on how infants learn to distinguish between languages, evidence for the “analysis by synthesis” theory, and the importance of using “motherese” when reading to infants.
Learning by Watching, Toddlers Show Intuitive Understanding of Probability
I-LABS’ Anna Waismeyer and Andrew Meltzoff report that 24-month-olds can make sense of imperfect cause-and-effect relationships. The latest research from I-LABS shows that toddlers as young as 24-months-old intuitively understand probability in a cause-and-effect game in which the children had to choose which strategy was more likely to work. I-LABS’ Waismeyer and Andrew Meltzoff and co-author Alison Gopnik at the … Read More
I-LABS’ Lindsay Klarman Takes Executive Director Job at Seattle Non-Profit
Klarman arrived at the University of Washington in 2001. A native of San Diego, she had just finished her bachelor’s in cognitive science from the University of California, San Diego and was moving to UW for graduate school. Newly-wedded, Klarman and her husband drove a U-Haul up to Seattle, moved into a 500-square foot apartment in Wallingford, and soon after … Read More
Outreach at KidsQuest Children’s Museum Aug. 21
I-LABS’ outreach team will share the latest in how brains work August 21, 5-8 p.m. at Bellevue’s KidsQuest Museum. Children and their families are invited to join Sarah Roseberry Lytle, I-LABS’ director of outreach and education, for an interactive exhibit sharing the latest research in how brains work and how we learn language. The exhibit is August 21, 5-8 p.m. Here’s … Read More
I-LABS research featured in Seattle Times Education Lab
By Jill Sells and Mary Ann Woodruff Equal opportunity is at the heart of many civic discussions, from preschool to the minimum wage. Rarely is it emphasized that a child’s chance to reach his or her potential is greatly impacted by what happens before he or she utters a word. The stark reality is that inequities related to both economics … Read More
UW experts offer free resources to help caregivers boost babies’ brains
By Molly McElroy Researchers at the University of Washington’s Institute for Learning & Brain Sciences are well known for garnering headlines such as “Wise Beyond Their Years: What Babies Really Know” and “Raising a little genius.” Beyond doing the science, co-founders Patricia Kuhl and Andrew Meltzoff have presented their findings at the White House and written a popular book on … Read More