Child Myths

Straight Talk About Child Development

Jean Mercer is a developmental psychologist with a special interest in parent-infant relationships. See full bio

August 11, 2009

Bilingual Babies: Another Myth Busted

In my last post, I commented on some preferences and behaviors that help babies pay attention to talking adults and learn about language from what they hear. Babies' social interest in other people and their attentiveness to high-pitched, emphatic speech are factors that help them learn from baby talk. Read More

August 10, 2009

Talking Baby Talk

Are you ever embarrassed when you hear an adult talking "baby talk" to a baby? Do you ever think, or even say, that no baby could learn to talk sensibly after hearing that goofy high-pitched jabber? Read More

August 8, 2009

Science and Education: Must It Be Neuroscience?

A number of authors, including Daniel Willingham and Kathy Hirsch-Pasek, have pointed out that current understanding of brain development is not sufficient to provide a scientific approach to education. Read More

August 6, 2009

Hearing and Reading: Do the Eyes Have It, or Do the Ears Contribute to Dyslexia?

Preschool children often show confusion about letters of the alphabet. They write them backward or upside-down and don't seem to care about the differences we point out between their productions and the standard version. As they get older, some children continue to make the same mistakes, and their efforts to read are confused as they ignore the order of letters or even of words. Read More

August 4, 2009

Different Strokes for Different Little Folks: Parenting Individual Children

The often-quoted generalization about families is that all the happy ones are the same, but the unhappy ones are all different. Can this apply to parents, too? Are all the good mothers and fathers the same? Is there just one way of being a good parent?

These questions have repeatedly been answered in the negative. Read More

July 29, 2009

Child's Play: How They Do the Math

"I'm no good at math"-- "I never understood math"--- "I don't blame my kids for hating math, I never liked it either". Read More

July 27, 2009

Too Young to Be Traumatized by Separation? Not at 12 Months

In the New York Times Magazine for Sunday, July 26, 2009, Pamela Paul presented a thought-provoking article, whose title asked: "Why Can a Lesbian Couple Be Foster Parents to Older Kids But Have to Fight to Adopt a Newborn?" This article told a poignant story of family love and loss, and touched on a number of important issues about adult rights and children's needs. Read More

July 24, 2009

Myths About Child Development: Plasticity and the Brain

When I started this blog, it was my plan to spend a lot of time talking about "child myths"-- common beliefs about child development that do not turn out to be supported by research evidence. Read More

July 24, 2009

Brain Plasticity, Part 3: The Evidence Basis

Several contributors have pointed out that there is evidence about a relationship between brain structures and functions, as well as about the effect of the environment on the developing brain. Of course this is perfectly true. Read More

July 24, 2009

Brain Plasticity, Part 2: Proprietary Programs

Recently, after I had pointed out that parts of the brain differ in their plasticity (ability to be shaped by environmental stimulation), a reader asked me about programs like "Brain Fitness", which claim to be able to change the brain. Read More

Books by Jean Mercer, Ph.D.

Child Development: Myths and Misunderstandings

Understanding Attachment: Parenting, Child Care, and Emotional Development

Attachment Therapy on Trial: The Torture and Death of Candace Newmaker (Child Psychology and Mental Health)

Child Development Basics

The speedy physical and psychological changes that children undergo from birth through adolescence often leave parents wondering how best to care for them at each stage. From how to talk so kids will listen to when to back off and allow them to fail, PT's experts weigh in.

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Books by Jean Mercer, Ph.D.

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