Though writing by hand is increasingly being eclipsed by the ease of computers, a new study finds we shouldn’t be so quick to throw away the pencils and paper: handwriting helps people learn certain skills surprisingly faster and significantly better than learning the same material through typing or watching videos. «The question out there for…

A study suggests outdoor education could be a promising tool to help close gender gaps in science. The findings, published in the International Journal of Science Education, indicates outdoor education could be a promising tool to help close gender gaps in science. «The outdoors is a space where teachers can find tangible ways to make…

Young children whose parents read them five books a day enter kindergarten having heard about 1.4 million more words than kids who were never read to, a new study found. This ‘million word gap’ could be one key in explaining differences in vocabulary and reading development. This «million word gap» could be one key in…

Humans are born with a part of the brain that is prewired to be receptive to seeing words and letters, setting the stage at birth for people to learn how to read, a new study suggests. Analyzing brain scans of newborns, researchers found that this part of the brain — called the ‘visual word form…

The perception that boys are more interested than girls in computer science and engineering starts as young as age six, according to a new study. That may be one reason why girls and women are underrepresented in these STEM career fields. «Gender-interest stereotypes that say ‘STEM is for boys’ begin in grade school, and by…

Looking beyond the picky eating of childhood, researchers looked at this behavior in college students. Self-identified picky eaters ate significantly less fiber and vegetables and reported greater levels of social phobia than non-picky eaters, according to a new study. Social phobia is the fear of being evaluated during everyday activities by others. «Picky eating is…

Researchers found that first-year college students do pack on pounds, but implementing healthy patterns early can help stave off that weight gain. The freshman 15 is actually a bit of a misnomer, with students typically only putting on around 8 pounds over their first year. But that’s a substantial amount of weight to gain, particularly…

A unique databank that profiles children with hearing loss will help researchers globally understand why some children adapt and thrive, while others struggle. The Victorian Childhood Hearing Impairment Longitudinal Databank, which has collected information for eight years, is featured in the latest International Journal of Epidemiology. Its data shows that language development and speech in…

A new study warns 1,500 endangered languages could no longer be spoken by the end of this century. The study, led by The Australian National University (ANU), identified predictors that put endangered languages at high risk. Co-author Professor Lindell Bromham said that of the world’s 7,000 recognised languages, around half were currently endangered. «We found…

A new brain imaging study shows that infants as young as three months are already enlisting the hippocampus to recognize and learn patterns. However, a new brain imaging study by Yale scientists shows that infants as young as three months are already enlisting the hippocampus to recognize and learn patterns. The findings were published May…