Description: “Are we nearly there yet?” Even if you have not (yet) heard that question being asked (over and over and over) in a small voice from the backseat of your family car you have heard it used as a sort of social meme tossed out in social situations that are or seem to be… Read more »
Posts Categorized: Cognitive Development: The Information-Processing Approach
Talking to Children about the Ukraine
Description: When I was 7 years old (in grade 3) at around 11 am on or about October 26, 1962, there was a general announcement by our elementary school principal over the PA system that we were all to pack up and go home. I do not recall whether I had any clue as to… Read more »
Admitting Uncertainty and Trust are Related: Ask a 4-year-old!
Description: Regardless of what you thought of the events surrounding the so-called Freedom Convoy in Canada’s capital of Ottawa over the past 3 weeks it was very clear that there are quite a few people who do not trust that the government is giving them the right information and advice or doing the right thing… Read more »
Is Our Attention Slipping or is it Being Stolen?
Description: Consider this shift over recent historical time (time that I have lived through so far). Time was that one of the most common bits of advice offered regarding how to live a more effective life or at least how to work more efficiently and profitably was to learn how to multi-task or to do… Read more »
Doing Magic for Animals
Description: Do you like magic tricks? Thinking back to your childhood (assuming you say one or two magic shows) can you remember the point in your development where your reaction to seeing a magic trick shifted from “Wow that was amazing magic” to “Wow, how did they do that.” At some point we (well almost… Read more »
Child Minds vs Adult Minds: One Species or Two?
Description: Here is a scientific creativity problem for you. What might it mean to say that, in terms of how their minds are organized and how they engage with the world, that human adults and human small children are basically different species? Puzzle on that for a little bit, drawing upon what you know or… Read more »
Is it Exercise or Nature That is Good For You? Or is it Both?
Description: Imagine you volunteer for a research study. As part of the study you are shown a pair of pictures (two men or two women) and you are asked to pick the one that is the most attractive. After you make your choice you are handed the picture you chose and asked to explain why… Read more »
Fred Rogers: Superhero!
Description: In a recent post I suggested that what the world needs a new superhero and that the best candidate I could think of was a man who wore red cardigan sweaters, spoke very clearly and slowly in ways that made him VERY understandable by preschoolers and who spoke about important things like strong emotions… Read more »
Why Watch Toddler TV?
Description: It is old news now, but do you recall any of the fuss about the Teletubbies TV show? When it first arrive to North American TV screens in 1997 there was an intense storm of media discussion about how very young children (2 and even younger) loved it and parents were perplexed as they… Read more »
School Recess is Not Just a Break, It is Very Important
Description: Think back to when you were in elementary school. What did you do during recess? Did you ever think of recess as an important component of your educational day or just as a cherished break away from the demands of the classroom? From a developmental psychological perspective how should we look at, think about… Read more »
Books for Success!
