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Category: Early Childhood Education & Development

Researchers address early childhood needs of Nebraska’s immigrant, refugee families

The research team includes, front row from left: Sanya Tuncan-Minden, UNMC graduate research assistant; Kerry Miller, associate director of Munroe-Meyer’s Department of Education and Child Development and UNMC’s principal investigator; Laura Fritz, UNMC graduate research assistant; and Alexis Chavez, MAP Academy graduate research assistant. Back row, from left: Janella Kang, MAP Academy graduate research assistant; Amanda Prokasky, MAP Academy senior research specialist; Lorey Wheeler, MAP Academy director; and Charlie Lewis, project director at the Center on Children, Families and the Law. Learn more about this project in the CYFS Research Network.

Early screening and support are vital for healthy child development, especially for immigrant and refugee families navigating unfamiliar systems in the U.S.

A recent multi-campus study found that many immigrant and refugee families in Nebraska struggle to access services to address developmental delays or disabilities in children, particularly those age 3 and younger. Barriers include language differences, limited awareness of available services and discomfort with the health care system due to past discrimination or negative experiences. Full Article

Study explores factors influencing youth sports participation

Researchers are studying factors that influence participation in youth sports, including where children and adolescents live.

For years, research has shown that active children — including those who participate in youth sports — tend to be healthier than those who are less active.

Ann Rogers, assistant professor in the Department of Health Promotion in the College of Public Health at the University of Nebraska Medical Center, is leading a project to understand what influences youth sports participation, including where children and adolescents live. Full Article

NAECR Networking event highlights latest research on social-emotional development

A panel of researchers from around the University of Nebraska system shared the latest news of early childhood social-emotional development research at the April 15 NAECR Networking event.

A panel of researchers discussed the latest programming, interventions and resources being used to promote early childhood social-emotional development across Nebraska at the NAECR Networking event April 15.

Panelists included Kerry-Ann Escayg, assistant professor of teacher education, University of Nebraska at Omaha; Sara Kupzyk, assistant professor of psychology, University of Nebraska at Omaha; and Abbie Raikes, associate professor of health promotion, University of Nebraska Medical Center Full Article

NAECR Knowledge event highlights AI potential in early childhood research

The March 13 NAECR Knowledge event focused on strategies, tools and best practices for incorporating artificial intelligence into early childhood research.

How can early childhood researchers incorporate artificial intelligence into their work?

Early childhood researchers discussed strategies, tools and best practices for incorporating AI into their work during the spring NAECR Knowledge event March 13.

Mel Sedlacek, office associate with the Department of Child, Youth and Family Studies, and IDEA campus coordinator, led the virtual presentation for 21 attendees representing all four University of Nebraska campuses and the Buffett Early Childhood Institute. Full Article

Researchers building science confidence, capacity among rural early childhood educators

The project’s research team includes, front row, from left: Lisa Poppe, Sarah Paulos, Deepika Menon and Christine Wittich. Back row, from left: Marianna Burks, Maddie Pieper, HyeonJin Yoon, Soo-Young Hong, LaDonna Werth and Doug Golick. Learn more about this project in the CYFS Research Network.

Research shows children starting kindergarten often know less about science compared to reading and math. Despite this, science activities typically make up the smallest proportion of the preschool day.

The science opportunity gap is even more pronounced in rural communities, where limited educational resources and lower emphasis on science education widen the divide. Full Article

Research aims to reduce rural child obesity with responsive feeding practices

Dipti Dev, associate professor of child, youth and family studies and Nebraska Extension specialist, is spearheading a five-year project to help rural child care programs foster healthy eating habits among young children. Learn more about this project in the CYFS Research Network.

In early childhood, healthy eating habits lay the foundation for lifelong wellness, helping prevent many chronic health issues.

Promoting these habits is particularly important for children in rural communities, where resources are sometimes limited. Research shows that rural children are 26% more likely to experience obesity than their urban peers. Full Article

Research explores how classroom time affects children’s self-regulation skills

Jenna Finch, assistant professor of psychology, is exploring the effects of time in school on students’ executive function — mental skills that include working memory, flexible thinking and self-control. Learn more in the CYFS Research Network.

In recent years, illnesses, quarantines and school closures during the COVID-19 pandemic have increased emphasis on the importance of instructional time for children’s academic achievement following absences from the classroom.

There is also recent evidence that pandemic school closures disproportionately affected U.S. schools that had students with lower third-grade standardized test scores and higher shares of students from socioeconomically disadvantaged backgrounds. Full Article

Grand Challenges Catalyst project aims to strengthen early childhood workforce — and positive results for children

Project team members include, front row from left: Natalie Koziol, Jenna Finch, Lisa Knoche, Jennifer Leeper Miller and Holly Hatton-Bowers. Back row, from left: Julia Torquati, Carrie Clark, Sue Sheridan, Changmin Yan, HyeonJin Yoon and Soo-Young Hong. Learn more about the project in the CYFS Research Network.

Nearly 28 million children in the U.S. experience childhood adversity — neglect, parental substance abuse, mental illness, racism and bias.

Such hardships cause significant stress to children at crucial stages in their development, putting them at risk for academic difficulties and health and behavioral issues — all of which have consequences into adulthood. Full Article