The hottest Child development Substack posts right now

Foster care systems often fail to provide stable living conditions for children from adverse circumstances, impacting their chances in life.
Research suggests that, on average, foster care does not provide better outcomes for children compared to staying with their birth families.
Human nature and the need for stability suggest that foster children face unique challenges, including a lack of consistent relationships and environments.

An AI model was trained using video footage from a baby to learn language and concepts.
The AI model demonstrated the ability to link words to their visual counterparts based on limited real-world experiences.
This study could help reshape our understanding of how AI and humans learn language and concepts.

Strong students may not always be ready for more challenging material.
Mathematics education is not a one-size-fits-all journey, some students have specific areas of interest and may not be ready for broader mathematical growth.
Kids may have peaks of interest in specific mathematical topics, and that's completely normal, parents should be aware of this and educator should offer real challenges to help them grow.

Real women, children, and babies face dangers for their beliefs and actions.
Human life follows a cycle from the start of reproduction to the end of life.
Mother/baby relationship is prioritized over supporting other groups with unconventional choices.

Reading is crucial for children and benefits them in various ways.
Two-thirds of fourth-grade students in the US are not proficient in reading, indicating a concerning statistic.
Teaching reading should align with proven methods such as systematic phonics and multisensory strategies to ensure success.

Get a weekly roundup of the best Substack posts, by hacker news affinity:

Intergenerational altruism in the Barro-Becker model may need to be as low as 0.09 for a stable solution, which seems paradoxical considering the proportion of a parent's and child's consumption.
Potential explanations for this paradox include scale economies in household production, children being viewed as 'utility monsters,' and parents seeing children as a prestige good.
The discrepancy in altruism values between parents and consequences may imply that individuals are not consequentialists and may prioritize existing utility over potential future utility.

Infant screen use at age 1 can lead to reduced cognitive skills at ages 4 and 9.
Research shows that extended screen time in infancy can have long-term negative effects on cognitive abilities.
Studies suggest limiting screen time for infants and encouraging more physical play for healthy cognitive development.

Teaching math by involving kids to solve practice problems first can lead to deeper understanding
Encouraging kids to struggle through problem-solving helps them build important skills and confidence
Presenting problems that require critical thinking before introducing techniques can enhance learning and creativity

As COVID-19 restrictions relax, pediatricians are sharing optimistic views on the progress made, including the availability of effective vaccines and the decreasing severity of the virus over time.
Children who have recovered from COVID-19 tend to develop lasting immunity, with studies showing a strong immune response, even greater than adults, in some cases.
The potential harms of prolonged mask wearing on children's development, combined with the psychological impacts of the pandemic, highlight the importance of considering the overall well-being of children when making decisions about COVID-19 precautions.

Children naturally learn best through play and exploration, making traditional teaching methods less effective. It's important to allow children the freedom to explore and discover on their own.
Playful learning goes beyond standardized curriculum; it involves letting children engage with topics through hands-on experiences like playing with mud to learn about science concepts.
Adults should act as guides in a child's learning journey, sharing the joy of exploration and discovery, rather than being the sole source of knowledge. Success lies in the journey of self-discovery and purposeful living.

Playful learning involves purposeless activities that help discover purpose, perspective, and meaning in the long term.
Conventional schooling often focuses on visible skills, but children's learning is rooted in the real world and builds on invisible competencies.
In fostering playful exploration in topics like reading and math, emphasis should be on building core invisible skills like attention, critical thinking, logical reasoning, and abstract thinking.