Aurora’s Early Education Research Round-Up

Aurora’s Early Education Research Round-Up Aurora aims to provide a holistic environment for our children that is constantly evolving to suit their learning and behavioural changes as they develop. We stay updated with new information and research and consider its application in our daily practice. Doing so helps us enhance our approaches towards our children and give them the best treatment they need to successfully develop. Each month, we explore studies that have been published over the past month that reveal significant findings that could help parents and the early education community. In October 2021, these studies explored the lack of harmful effects of screen time and the positive effects of fruits and vegetables on young children’s mental health.

Screen time doesn’t have a strong negative link to children’s health Many parents often worry about screen time affecting children’s social and psychological development as increasing use of digital devices is frequently related to a range of challenges individuals may experience when growing up. However, The Conversation published an article revealing the findings of a study issued by PLoS ONE which sounds like good news not just for children, but also for educators and parents. The study found that screen time is not harmful or the cause of anxiety and depression for young children. The researchers learned that while there were associations between screen time and attention, mental health, academic performance. and quality of sleep for children, screen time was not established as the direct cause. This means parents can worry a little less about the amount of screen time children have as long as they know how to use that time appropriately and healthily. This is why it is important to us at Aurora to teach our children how to use devices and the internet and build good habits early on so they see it as a tool to aid their learning. And, instead of worrying about excessive use of devices, parents and educators can devote more attention to connecting with children emotionally so they feel comfortable enough to express themselves. Therefore, if any social or psychological issues are forming, we can identify them as early as possible and find ways to support our children in any way they need.

Fruit and veg helps children’s mental health Researchers from the University of East Anglia conducted a study investigating childrens’ diets and their association to mental wellbeing, The Sector reports. They found that a nutritionally balanced diet filled with fruits and vegetables leads to better mental health. The connection nutrition has to emotional wellbeing is what needs to be recognised in schools and homes more as it will help reduce the chances of long-term mental health challenges and get children to achieve their full potential. At our centres, we ensure all our children have the best nutritional meals and actively participate in nutritional campaigns like Nutrition Australia’s “Try for 5” for Nutrition Week in October. Our educators also encourage our children to learn more about nutrition and the benefits of eating fruits and vegetables so they can understand why they need them in their daily diet.