What’s the recommended screen limit for young children – and why? Potential screen time benefits for children must be weighed against the risks

“When researchers try to pin down ‘the effect of screen time’, the answer is often mixed or inconclusive.”
Potential screen time benefits for children must be weighed against the risks, says Amy Orben. @orbenamy.bsky.social #ScreenTime boldscience.org/whats-the-re...

Why do children need friends? Friends can protect youth from the effects of peer victimization

"Children with close friends are less depressed, which speaks to our inherently social nature as human beings."

Friends can protect youth from the effects of peer victimization, say Jonathan Santo and Josafá da Cunha. #ChildDevelopment
boldscience.org/why-do-child...

The BOLD 2026 Audience Survey Help shape the future of BOLD – the global platform for scientific knowledge that is changing children’s lives

Help shape the future of BOLD.
If you have a few minutes to spare, please take part in our anonymous audience survey. Your feedback will help us create better content, improve the platform, and design new features.
Thank you! www.surveymonkey.com/r/bold_audie...

How do children learn through everyday experiences? Different experiences foster learning in different cultural contexts

“Everyday experiences – playing with friends, eating a meal, reading a book, spending time alone – have an impact on development.”
@elmanubohn.bsky.social explains how different experiences foster learning in different cultural contexts. #ChildDevelopment
boldscience.org/how-do-child...

How schools can adapt to teens’ sleep rhythms  If schools work with, not against, teenagers’ body clocks, there can be academic and emotional benefits for students.

“Despite needing more sleep at this stage of life, many teenagers don’t get enough.”

Revisit Chiara Staub, Alessia Colacino, Sarah Zurmühle, and David Bürgin on teenagers’ body clocks.

#ChildDevelopment #Adolescence

boldscience.org/how-schools-can-adapt-to...

Do children benefit from older mentors? Having a mentor gives children a better chance to fulfill their academic potential

While I was away last week, this article I wrote for @boldinsights.bsky.social was published. It's about a study that followed how mentoring can undo some of the socioeconomic effects that determine which academic track children are placed on.

boldscience.org/do-children-...

When pupils look attentive but their minds have wandered Mind wandering is surprisingly common, but simple strategies can help children focus

“Children’s minds wander far more often than most people realise.”
Mind wandering is surprisingly common, but simple strategies can help children focus, says Agnieszka Graham. #EdChat boldscience.org/when-pupils-...

When pupils look attentive but their minds have wandered Mind wandering is surprisingly common, but simple strategies can help children focus

“Children’s minds wander far more often than most people realise.”
Mind wandering is surprisingly common, but simple strategies can help children focus, says Agnieszka Graham. #EdChat boldscience.org/when-pupils-...

Why we need to change the narrative around adolescence Forget the negative stereotypes, adolescence can be a time of promise and possibility

“Negative stereotypes of adolescents can create self-fulfilling prophecies and damage parent-teen relationships.”

Forget the negative stereotypes, says Meeri Kim. Adolescence can be a time of promise and possibility. #RethinkStereotypes #Adolescence

boldscience.org/why-we-need-...

Will AI bring back oral exams? – BOLD Libby and Owen discuss a new oral exam system in which students answer questions from a voice agent that probes their understanding of the material and their own work.

🎧 Will AI bring back oral exams?

In the latest episode of our guest podcast EdTechnical, hosts @libbylhhills.bsky.social and Owen Henkel speak with Panos Ipeirotis about his experiment using AI to run oral exams in university courses. #EdTech

boldscience.org/will-ai-brin...

Should maths classrooms change in the AI era? AI could help teachers take a more discussion-based approach

“AI may be most effective not when it attempts to automate teaching… but when it helps teachers apply learning science.”
AI could help teachers take a more discussion-based approach in mathematics, says Anabel Altenburg. #EdTech
boldscience.org/should-maths...

What factors contribute to high-quality early childhood services? Feedback, social accountability, and local engagement play an important role​

“Families were not just beneficiaries; they also became active participants in shaping service quality.”

Akito Kamei, Florencia Lopez Boo, & Jane Leer show how feedback, social accountability, and local engagement play an important role in early childhood services.​

boldscience.org/what-factors...

How are the COVID babies doing 5 years on? Some children born during the pandemic need extra support

"Although most children have developed normally, there was a small increase of 1-2% in the number of kids screening “at risk” for delay."

Some children born during the pandemic need extra support, say Catherine Lebel, Gerald Giesbrecht, & Lianne Tomfohr-Madsen.
boldscience.org/how-are-the-...

How can educators teach metacognitive skills?

BOLD sat down with with Alicia Forsberg, Lecturer at the University of Sheffield, to find out.

#childdevelopment #metacognition

Why children’s language and emotion regulation go hand in hand Language skills and self-regulation develop together in early childhood

“Children who teachers said were better able to manage their emotions made more progress in telling stories.”

Revisit: Pilar Alamos & Catalina Lecaros on language skills & self-regulation.

#ChildDevelopment

boldscience.org/why-childrens-language-a...

Do children benefit from older mentors? Having a mentor gives children a better chance to fulfill their academic potential

“Although the children spent only a short amount of time with their mentor over a period of one year, the experience had a lasting impact.”
@evaamsen.com hears from @fabiankosse.bsky.social that mentors can give children a better chance of fulfilling their potential.
boldscience.org/do-children-...

Robotics education that centers young people What happens when robotics learning begins with youth voices?

“Instead of centering the machine, we center young people, their communities, and the purpose behind their work.”

Chunyan Yang, Shauna-Kay J. Jorandby, and Julie Yang ask what happens when robotics learning begins with youth voices. #RoboticsEducation
boldscience.org/robotics-edu...

How do we know what works in education?  Educators need strong evidence to choose the most effective educational interventions

"Research and evaluation happen slowly, whereas schools and the world of educational enterprise are fast paced."

ICYMI: Educators need strong evidence to choose effective interventions, say Astrid Bowen & Jo Van Herwegen.

#EdChat

boldscience.org/how-do-we-know-what-work...

The educational statistician applying theories to real world learning Ethan M. McCormick is using complex data to inform educational interventions

“We wanted to know how feedback today changes learning tomorrow.”
Ethan M. McCormick is using complex data to inform educational interventions. #EdChat @emccormick.bsky.social
boldscience.org/the-educatio...

Why hitting children doesn’t help Simple parenting tools can guide children without the need for physical punishment

“Physical punishment does not improve behavior and can cause lasting harm.”

Jorge Cuartas shares simple parenting tools that can guide children without the need for physical punishment. #ChildDevelopment @jorgecuartas.bsky.social
boldscience.org/why-hitting-...

Can AI automate just the ‘boring’ parts of teaching? – BOLD In this EdTechnical Short, Libby and Owen explore how AI might reshape teaching through the lens of the “weakest link” theory from economics.

🎧 How might AI reshape teaching?

In the latest episode of our guest podcast EdTechnical, hosts @libbylhhills.bsky.social and Owen Henkel explore the possibility of full job replacement, partial task automation, and productivity gains for teachers. #EdTech

boldscience.org/can-ai-autom...

🎧 Could your child’s new best friend be an AI teddy?

@libbylhhills.bsky.social and Owen Henkel test a conversational plush toy to understand more about AI-powered toys designed for young children.

Listen to the latest episode of EdTechnical now! #EdTech

boldscience.org/could-your-c...

Can caregivers support children's metacognition at home?

BOLD sat down with with Alicia Forsberg, Lecturer at the University of Sheffield, to find out.

#ChildDevelopment #Metacognition

How do children learn through everyday experiences? Different experiences foster learning in different cultural contexts

“Everyday experiences – playing with friends, eating a meal, reading a book, spending time alone – have an impact on development.”
@elmanubohn.bsky.social explains how different experiences foster learning in different cultural contexts. #ChildDevelopment
boldscience.org/how-do-child...

How parents can make their children feel more loved Simply asking and answering personal questions can help

“Self-disclosure characterises loving, warm relationships, and those are, of course, critical for child development.”

Read again: Eddie Brummelman tells Melissa Hogenboom that asking and answering personal questions can help children feel more loved.

#Parenting

boldscience.org/how-parents-...

What helps teachers navigate sensitive topics in the classroom? Teachers benefit from training and support when conversations get hard

“Teachers may avoid teaching sensitive topics if they feel they lack knowledge or confidence.”
Aisha Schnellmann explains how teachers benefit from training and support when conversations get hard.
#TeachingSensitiveTopics
boldscience.org/what-helps-t...

Why we need to change the narrative around adolescence Forget the negative stereotypes, adolescence can be a time of promise and possibility

“Negative stereotypes of adolescents can create self-fulfilling prophecies and damage parent-teen relationships.”

Forget the negative stereotypes, says Meeri Kim. Adolescence can be a time of promise and possibility. #RethinkStereotypes #Adolescence

boldscience.org/why-we-need-...

There are a number of persistent myths about #dyslexia floating around out there.It came to our attention that this week, some of those myths have been given a big megaphone & reached a wide audience. So, we’d like to gently (and a bit nerdily) set the record straight www.gaablab.com/dyslexia-myths

Will AI bring back oral exams? – BOLD Libby and Owen discuss a new oral exam system in which students answer questions from a voice agent that probes their understanding of the material and their own work.

🎧 Will AI bring back oral exams?

In the latest episode of our guest podcast EdTechnical, hosts @libbylhhills.bsky.social and Owen Henkel speak with Panos Ipeirotis about his experiment using AI to run oral exams in university courses. #EdTech

boldscience.org/will-ai-brin...

How does metacognition develop in children?

BOLD sat down with with Alicia Forsberg, Lecturer at the University of Sheffield, to find out.

#childdevelopment #metacognition