Talaris Institute

Speech Stumbles Help Toddlers Learn New Words

maggie — Thu, 14 Apr 2011 17:29:41 +0000

According to a new study published in the journal, Developmental Science, hesitant speech may help children learn new vocabulary words. When a toddler hears a speaker using “um” or “uh” while speaking, the hesitancy serves a cue that a new word is coming next. While the ability to use disfluencies as learning clues seems to develop over the second year of life, researchers are still curious to learn more about out what exactly children know and understand about the “ums” and “uhs” in speech.

http://www.livescience.com/13719-speech-stumbles-teach-toddlers.html

Talaris Institute Releases Baby Feelings, a New Board Book for Young Children

maggie — Tue, 12 Apr 2011 00:30:17 +0000

Talaris Institute is pleased to announce the release of Baby Feelings, a board book perfect for young children. Baby Feelings, inspired by research and beautifully photographed, focuses on how babies express emotions.

Product Update – Baby Feelings

Talaris Webcast with Dr. John Gottman

maggie — Thu, 07 Apr 2011 22:02:55 +0000

On April 6, Talaris Institute hosted Dr. John Gottman, a world-renowned psychologist with thirty-eight years of experience researching parenting and marriage. Dr. Gottman’s talk, entitled “Raising an Emotionally Intelligent Child: The Heart of Parenting,” is now available on demand at no charge at www.ParentingCounts.org/webcast/gottman.

John Gottman Press Release 4-5-11

Depression in Dads Affects Parenting Behavior

maggie — Mon, 14 Mar 2011 17:29:24 +0000

Studies of parental depression usually focus on mothers, but depression in fathers can also negatively affect a young child’s health and development. A recent study published in the April print issue of Pediatrics examined the associations between depression in fathers of 1-year-old children and specific posititive and negative parenting behaviors discussed by pediatric providers at well-child visits.

http://www.healthychildren.org/English/News/pages/Depression-in-Dads-Affects-Parenting-Behaviors.aspx

Talaris Institute Releases the Experience, Explore, Learn Video for Early Childhood Professionals

maggie — Tue, 01 Feb 2011 00:43:38 +0000

Talaris Institute is pleased to announce a new Parenting Counts video on play designed for early childhood professionals to support their work with parents and children: Experience, Explore, Learn: The Amazing World of Play

Product Update – Experience, Explore, Learn: The Amazing World of Play

Dr. Harvey Karp

Stacey — Tue, 25 Jan 2011 21:57:41 +0000

Dr. Harvey Karp has been a pediatrician and child development specialist for over 30 years. He is on the faculty of USC School of Medicine and a fellow of the American Academy of Pediatrics. The popularity of Dr. Karp’s ideas has made him America’s most read baby doctor and his work is translated into over 20 languages. Praising his innovative concepts, the New York Times proclaimed, “Roll over Dr. Spock!”

Dr. Karp’s book/DVD, The Happiest Baby on the Block teaches simple techniques to quickly reduce crying (even most cases of colic) and boost an infant’s sleep. His book/DVD The Happiest Toddler on the Block presents novel and rapidly effective ways to build cooperation and patience and stop many tantrums in seconds. Over a million parents, from working moms to superstars like Madonna, Michelle Pfeiffer and Pierce Brosnan, have used Dr. Karp’s techniques for making their children happy.

Thousands of specially trained Happiest Baby educators lead classes teaching pregnant couples his baby calming/sleep promoting ideas in hospitals, military bases, clinics and teen parenting programs throughout the US and many other countries to help parents feel more confident and to prevent the terrible consequences of persistent infant crying and parental exhaustion (e.g. postpartum depression, breastfeeding failure, marital stress, child abuse, SIDS, etc).

Dr. Karp is an advisor to Parents, Ser Padres and American Baby magazines. He’s part of Barnes and Nobles’ Expert Circle and he’s a parenting coach for AOL. He has appeared numerous times on Good Morning America, The View, Larry King Live, Dr. Phil, etc. And his work has been featured by the Associated Press, The New York Times, Time, Newsweek, People Magazine, and more.

In addition to his passion for teaching about the normal needs of young families, Dr. Karp is an outspoken advocate in the fight to stop environmental threats to children. Over the past 20 years, he has been a spokesman on environmental issues for the NRDC, PSR, EWG, AAP and the State of California. He helped launch two of the nation’s premiere watchdog organizations on children’s environmental health. He is also an advisor to National Geographic’s “Green Guide” and editor and contributor to the critically acclaimed green-living guide, Healthy Child/Healthy World (Plume, 2009). Last year Dr. Karp’s work inspired the passage of a new federal law banning a toxic plastic — phthlates — from the toys of young children.

Dr. Karp and his wife reside in Los Angeles and his daughter is a student in New York City.

Self-control in Childhood Leads to Success in Adulthood

maggie — Tue, 25 Jan 2011 04:22:28 +0000

A recent study published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences tracked a socioeconomically diverse group of children in New Zealand from birth to age 32. Results found that children who scored higher on assessments of self-control as toddlers were more likely to be successful as adults, in terms of indicators such as health and financial security.

http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052748704279704576102164041456434.html

More Kids Can Use a Smart Phone Than Tie Their Shoes

maggie — Mon, 24 Jan 2011 19:29:40 +0000

A recent study conducted by the Internet Security Company AVG found that 52% of children ages two to five years old are able to operate a smart phone or tablet computer, while only 20% could swim and only 11% could tie their own shoes. The article briefly summarizes the series of studies that examine how young children’s interaction with technology is evolving.

http://www.seattlepi.com/lifestyle/434010_kids24.html

Why Rich Parents Don’t Matter

maggie — Sat, 22 Jan 2011 19:50:53 +0000

For a paper in Psychological Science, researchers at the University of Texas at Austin and the University of Virginia looked at 750 pairs of American twins who were given a test of mental ability at the age of 10 months and then again at the age of 2. The studies found that generally, in measuring many traits from intelligence to self-control, factors such as genes and peer groups are far more influential than the home environment.

http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052748703954004576090020541379588.html

New Study Finds Long-term Health Benefits of Early Education

maggie — Mon, 17 Jan 2011 16:51:21 +0000

A new study conducted by researchers at Columbia University’s Mailman School of Public Health examines the impact of intensive early education programs on the health and health behaviors of low-income children.

http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/01/110114155340.htm