Math achievement of middle school students has been declining in many large cities in the Midwest. One approach that educators have taken to support student math learning has been to incorporate computational thinking (CT) practices into math instruction. CT is a set of practices that help students break down problems, look for patterns, and design step-by-step solutions. Research has shown that students’ CT knowledge is highly correlated with math achievement. Although interventions are available to support teachers in learning to integrate CT into their instruction, there are few brief and reliable measures that directly assess middle school teachers’ knowledge of how to integrate CT into math instruction. Such measures can alert local and state education agencies if there is a need to strengthen this ability in teachers in their schools. These measures are also critical for evaluating the effectiveness of CT integration into professional learning interventions. In response to this need, and as part of the ENgagement and Achievement through Computational Thinking (ENACT) partnership, REL Midwest developed and tested the Computational Thinking–Pedagogical Content Knowledge (CT–PCK) Survey for middle school math teachers. Key findings from the CT–PCK Survey include the following:
Access the report on the Institute of Education Sciences website. |
Tuesday, April 28, 2026
Middle school math teachers’ pedagogical knowledge of computational thinking
Physics can be hard. Mindfulness may help
The high stakes and intimidating reputation of physics classes can lead to plenty of stress for students new to the discipline. In fact, may students say it feels psychologically threatening, leading to worry and self-doubt.
"For some, these doubts can contribute to disengagement–providing short-term relief at the expense of longer-term success," wrote the authors of a new research study from Pitt's Learning Research & Development Center.
The study, published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, found a way to help students build resilience in the face of these emotions: mindfulness. After five days of training, students reported feeling less threatened and more engaged in their coursework.
This research also suggests mindfulness can support learning and persistence across STEM courses by helping students build resilience in how they interpret and respond to stress.
For more information, contact Professor Brian Galla, gallabri@pitt.edu
Monday, April 27, 2026
Early Childcare Attendance and Cognitive skills in Adolescence
This paper examines the impact of early childcare on academic achievement for children in grade 5 and grade 9, based on a 2003 policy expansion that created quasi-random variation in slot availability for children aged 1–2.
Starting childcare one year earlier increases math scores by 9.7% of a standard deviation (SD) in grade 9. Children whose mothers do not hold a high school diploma benefit by a significant 28% of a SD at grade 9, reducing the math achievement gap from children of higher-educated mothers by about one third.
The paper also presents evidence of strong improvements for children of immigrants.
Friday, April 24, 2026
Kids don’t use augmented reality like adults, raising concerns for classrooms
Key takeaways:
- Children interact with augmented reality in more physical, exploratory and creative ways than adults, revealing a mismatch with current adult-focused design.
- Adult users tend to rely on “legacy bias,” while children approach AR with fewer assumptions — often discovering new interaction possibilities.
- Designing AR specifically for children — rather than adapting adult systems — could significantly improve usability and learning outcomes.
As more advanced augmented reality tools move into classrooms and museums, new research from the University of South Florida suggests a fundamental problem: most of these technologies are designed for adults, not children.
While technology in schools once meant desktop computers and basic digital instruction, more immersive tools are beginning to reach children, changing how they interact with information and their surroundings.
“Even though more children are using technology in different contexts, these tools are still designed with adults in mind,” said Julia Woodward, an assistant professor in USF’s Bellini College of Artificial Intelligence, Cybersecurity and Computing. “Developers aren’t thinking about how children will engage with these products, which results in a frustrating experience for children.”
Woodward saw the disconnect firsthand through her research, and her latest published study highlights clear differences in how children ages 9 to 12 engage with AR compared with adults.
The limits of adult-focused AR design
AR headsets are typically designed for users ages 13 and up. Yet younger children are already engaging with the tools, primarily in educational settings such as schools and museums.
“Unlike virtual reality, augmented reality allows for interactive experiences while keeping users grounded in the real world, reducing symptoms like cyber fatigue and motion sickness,” Woodward said. “It also has the potential to enhance STEM learning, especially for concepts that can be difficult to grasp through traditional textbooks.”
However, how children attempt to use AR headsets reveals a different set of expectations than those built into adult-focused design.
This behavior highlights a mismatch between adult-designed systems, which rely on rigid gestures or command-based inputs, and the more exploratory, intuitive ways children engage with new technology.
Targeting child engagement in augmented reality
Woodward and her team conducted a foundational study with children ages 9 to 12 to better understand how they engage with AR headsets. Each child spent an hour in the lab, using an AR headset in 12-minute intervals while completing a series of tasks involving a virtual 3D cube.
“We wanted to see how they would perform 17 different actions, such as moving, shrinking or making the cube disappear,” Woodward said. “Children came up with many creative responses, including imagining the use of a hydraulic press to shrink the cube or using external objects like a stick to move it.”
After explaining and physically demonstrating an initial interaction, children were then asked to provide a second way to achieve the same result. This approach allowed researchers to observe both instinctive choices and flexibility in how children approached the same task. Children also gave simple usability ratings for each interaction, scoring how well it fit the task and how easy it was to perform.
Why children experience AR differently
By comparing first and second responses, the team examined whether children maintained the same interaction style or adjusted their approach. Researchers later compared those findings with results from previous studies examining adult interaction with the same technology.
“Compared with adults, we saw children use a much more physical approach,” Woodward said. “They relied heavily on gestures and thought creatively about using external objects to perform actions. Adults, on the other hand, often relied on familiar hand gestures first and switched to speech as a second option.”
Rather than lacking creativity, adults often apply interaction patterns they are already familiar with from other technologies.
“Children don’t really have that same legacy bias, which makes them more open to exploring technology in new ways,” Woodward said. “It’s why children often discover features or interaction styles adults didn’t realize were possible with everyday technologies such as computers or smartphones.”
A more thoughtful application
As immersive technologies continue to evolve, the research underscores a key point: children interact with AR differently than adults, and systems should be designed with this distinction in mind. Creating AR tools for educational use requires more than adapting technologies originally built for adults.
While the study served as a baseline, Woodward and her team are already building on the findings. They are applying insights from the cube‑based experiment to a new educational project focused on teaching fractions through an interactive AR experience with virtual pizzas.
By moving beyond simple virtual objects and into practical educational applications, the research team hopes to bring child-centered AR design one step closer to real-world classroom use.
High social media use = increased odds of alcohol use among adolescents
High social media use is significantly associated with increased odds of alcohol use among adolescents, according to a new study. Findings from the study will be presented at the Pediatric Academic Societies (PAS) 2026 Meeting, taking place April 24-27 in Boston.
“Researchers at Northwell Health conducted a study to better understand how today’s rapidly evolving social media landscape may be associated with substance use behaviors among adolescents,” said Neel Sharma, research intern at Northwell Health and lead author of the study. “Using nationally representative data, we found that adolescents with the highest levels of social media use had more than triple the odds of recent alcohol use compared to non-users. These findings suggest that social media environments may play a role in exposure to alcohol-related content and behaviors highlighting the need for efforts focused on digital literacy and helping adolescents navigate online spaces more safely.”
As social media becomes a bigger part of adolescents’ lives, they may be exposed to content promoting underage drinking. Although prior studies have examined associations between social media use and alcohol use, many were conducted before the rise of platforms like TikTok or used small sample sizes. To better understand this relationship, more current, large-scale, national data is needed. Researchers examined the association between social media use and alcohol use among U.S. high school students, and whether this relationship varied by grade, sex, race/ethnicity or sexuality.
Chi square analysis showed 28.0% of students with high social media use reported alcohol use, vs. 19.7% (moderate use), 13.2% (low use), and 9.2% (no use) (p < .001). In the adjusted regression, high social media use was associated with 3.15 times higher odds of alcohol use compared to no use (p < .001). Moderate use was associated with 1.72 times higher odds of alcohol use (p=.003), while low use was not significantly associated (p=.336). Interaction models showed the association between social media use and alcohol use did not significantly differ by grade, sex or race/ethnicity. However, students who identified as gay/lesbian had greater odds of alcohol use at both moderate (p=.006) and high (p < .001) social media levels.
These findings emphasize the need for further research into how digital depictions of alcohol shape youth health outcomes.
Additional information is included in the below research abstract. The PAS Meeting connects thousands of leading pediatric researchers, clinicians and educators worldwide. View the full schedule in the PAS 2026 program guide. For more information about the PAS Meeting, please visit www.pas-meeting.org.
Abstract: Social Media Use and Alcohol Consumption Among U.S. High School Students: Insights from the 2023 YRBSS
Presenting Author
Neel Sharma, Research Intern, Northwell Health
Organization
Northwell Health
Topic
Adolescent Medicine: Substance Use
Background
As social media becomes a bigger part of adolescents’ lives, they may be exposed to content promoting underage drinking. Although prior studies have examined associations between social media use and alcohol use, many were conducted before the rise of platforms like TikTok or used small sample sizes. To better understand this relationship, more current, large-scale, national data is needed.
Objective
To examine the association between social media use and alcohol use among U.S. high school students, and whether this relationship varies by grade, sex, race/ethnicity, or sexuality.
Design/Methods
Data from the 2023 National Youth Risk Behavior Surveillance Survey (YRBSS), a school-based, cross-sectional survey was analyzed. Alcohol use was defined as any use in the past 30 days (Q46; yes=1, no=0). Social media use (Q90) was categorized as No Use, Low Use (a few times/month-a few times/week), Moderate Use (once/day-several times/day), and High Use (1+ times/hour). The full sample had 20,103 students, with 14,682 having complete data for Q46 and Q90 for the chi-square analysis. A binary logistic regression tested the association between social media and alcohol use, controlling for sex, grade, race/ethnicity, and sexuality. The adjusted model had 13,251 complete responses for all variables: alcohol use, social media use, sex (Q2), grade (Q3), race/ethnicity (Q4, Q5), and sexuality (Q15). To test subgroup differences, interaction terms between social media use and each demographic variable were also tested.
Results
Chi square analysis showed 28.0% of students with high social media use reported alcohol use, vs. 19.7% (moderate use), 13.2% (low use), and 9.2% (no use) (p < .001). In the adjusted regression, high social media use was associated with 3.15 times higher odds of alcohol use compared to no use (p < .001) [Figure 1]. Moderate use was associated with 1.72 times higher odds of alcohol use (p=.003), while low use was not significantly associated (p=.336) [Figure 2]. Interaction models showed the association between social media use and alcohol use did not significantly differ by grade, sex, or race/ethnicity. However, students who identified as gay/lesbian had greater odds of alcohol use at both moderate (p=.006) and high (p < .001) social media levels.
Conclusion(s)
High social media use was significantly associated with increased odds of alcohol use among adolescents. This relationship was more pronounced for gay and lesbian youth. These findings emphasize the need for further research into how digital depictions of alcohol shape youth health outcomes.
Co-Authors
Caroline Howard, Visiting Scholar, Northwell Health
Lillian M. Ravikoff, Visiting Scholar, Northwell Health
Joseph Mekhail, Visiting Scholar, Northwell Health
Ruth Milanaik, DO, Associate Professor, Northwell Health
Tables and Images
Figure 1. Alcohol use Increases with Greater Social Media Use
Figure 2. Adjusted Odds Ratios for Alcohol use by Social Media Use Group
Study: relationship between parenting and gaming disorder in young children with ADHD
A new Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia study examines the relationship between parenting factors and gaming disorder in young children with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). Findings from the study will be presented during the Pediatric Academic Societies (PAS) 2026 Meeting, taking place April 24-27 in Boston.
More than 80% of American children play video games, and evidence is accumulating that a substantial proportion engage in problematic gaming. Moreover, children with ADHD are at risk for problematic video game use. This study found that risk factors for problematic gaming include negative parenting behaviors, male sex and older age. Negative parenting behaviors are modifiable with parenting training programs. The relationship between gaming and parenting may also be bidirectional, with problematic gaming contributing to negative parenting. Parental involvement in gaming, increased access to consoles, and increased household limits on gaming were not associated with gaming disorder.
“We found that negative parenting behaviors (such as arguing, punishing and losing temper) are significantly associated with children meeting criteria for gaming addiction,” said Emily Wassmer, MD, fellow physician at Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia and lead author of the study. “We can't determine a causal association from this data, but it is likely that the relationship is bidirectional, as parenting behaviors mediate child behaviors. Parenting behaviors are modifiable with evidence-based parent training programs, so programs like these may be beneficial for caregivers of gamers whose gaming has reached problematic levels. These findings are one piece part of a larger study evaluating risk factors for video game addiction in young children (age 5-12) with ADHD, a population at risk for addiction because of their ADHD diagnosis, though under-represented in gaming addiction research which tends to focus on adolescents.”
Recognizing the impact of video games on mental health, criteria for Internet Gaming Disorder (IGD) were proposed in the DSM-5. These criteria have rarely been applied to clinical populations. There is limited research on video game use in children with ADHD, a group vulnerable to developing addictive behaviors. Existing research has focused on individual-level factors related to problematic gaming, and there has been minimal focus on parental factors, which may be helpful in identifying targets for behavioral interventions.
Additional information is included in the below research abstract. The PAS Meeting connects thousands of leading pediatric researchers, clinicians and educators worldwide. View the full schedule in the PAS 2026 program guide. For more information about the PAS Meeting, please visit www.pas-meeting.org.
Abstract: Relationship Between Parenting Factors and Gaming Disorder in Young Children with Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder
Presenting Author
Emily Wassmer, MD, Fellow Physician, Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia
Background
More than 80% of American children play video games, and evidence is accumulating that a substantial proportion engage in problematic gaming. Recognizing the impact of video games on mental health, criteria for Internet Gaming Disorder (IGD) were proposed in the DSM-5. These criteria have rarely been applied to clinical populations. There is limited research on video game use in children with ADHD, a group vulnerable to developing addictive behaviors. Existing research has focused on individual-level factors related to problematic gaming, and there has been minimal focus on parental factors, which may be helpful in identifying targets for behavioral interventions.
Objective
Examine the extent to which limits on gaming, parental discipline style, parents gaming with children, and console access are associated with problematic video game use in children with ADHD.
Design/Methods
IGD criteria were adapted into survey questions refined through feedback from community stakeholders, including caregivers and youth. This screener and other validated tools – Adult Involvement in Media Scale & Parent Child Relationship Questionnaire – were administered electronically to caregivers of children age 5-12 with ADHD who play video games. Exclusion criteria included autism and intellectual disability.
A total of 304 participants were enrolled. Covariates included age, sex, caregiver level of education, ADHD medication status, frequency of medication use, and medication type. Predictor variables included parental involvement in gaming, console access, limits on gaming, positive parenting behaviors, and negative parenting behaviors. Univariable and multivariable logistic regression models were used to examine associations with screening positive for IGD.
Results
In univariate analyses, age, male sex, and negative parenting were associated with screening positive for gaming disorder. These associations persisted in the multivariable model (age OR 1.20, p=0.013; male sex OR 2.35, p=0.007; negative parenting OR 2.87, p< 0.001), with negative parenting behaviors demonstrating the strongest relationship.
Conclusion(s)
Children with ADHD are at risk for problematic video game use. Risk factors for problematic gaming include negative parenting behaviors, male sex, and older age. Negative parenting behaviors are modifiable with parenting training programs. The relationship between gaming and parenting may also be bidirectional, with problematic gaming contributing to negative parenting. Parental involvement in gaming, increased access to consoles, and increased household limits on gaming were not associated with gaming disorder.
Co-Authors
Alex Holdaway, PhD, Psychologist, Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia
Rachel Sanderlin, Data Scientist, Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia
Alexis Z. Tomlinson, PhD, Biostatistician, Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia
Thomas Power, PhD, Professor, Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia
Tables and Images
Demographics
1n (%); Median (Q1, Q3) 50 subjects were excluded from the cohort, due to having no responses to the Vanderbilt measure. Gender and Assigned Sex were almost identical; 5 cases who were assigned female at birth noted gender as male (2), non-binary (1), or did not respond to the question (2). In Relationship to Child, other contained 1 adoptive father, and 1 grandmother, the rest were unknown. In `Race`, the `Unknown or Other` contained 1 American Indian or Alaska Native subject, 1 Asian and Hispanic subject, 1 Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander subject, 1 Middle Eastern or North African subject, and 2 subjects of whom their race was unknown. IEP refers to an Individualized Education Plan, which offers specialized educational instruction and services under the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA). IDEA is a law that makes available a free appropriate public education to eligible children with disabilities throughout the United States and ensures special education and related services to those children. 504 refers to a 504 Plan, which provides school-based accommodations for children with physical or mental challenges. Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 prohibits discrimination on the basis of disability in programs or activities that receive federal financial assistance from the U.S. Department of Education.
Univariable Logistic Regression Results by Internet Gaming Disorder Status
1OR = Odds Ratio, CI = Confidence Interval 2Median (Q1, Q3); n (%)
Multivariable Model
1OR = Odds Ratio, CI = Confidence Interval, VIF = Variance Inflation Factor
Table 7b Aim 2 Multivariate.png
Thursday, April 23, 2026
What do teenagers need from their parents?
Parenting teens requires a careful balance of monitored freedom, according to Professor of Human Development and Family Studies Greg Fosco
Peer-Reviewed Publicationimage:
Greg Fosco, professor of human development and family studies and Edna Bennett Pierce Faculty Fellow in Prevention Research at Penn State, has studied adolescents and their roles in their families for almost two decades, and his research has demonstrated how much teens and parents need to trust and support each other.
view moreCredit: Courtesy of Penn State
UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. — Parents say they just want their teenage children to be happy, but often, they struggle to simply get along in the same house, according to Greg Fosco, professor of human development and family studies and Edna Bennett Pierce Faculty Fellow in Prevention Research at Penn State.
Fosco, a parent of two children, has studied adolescents and their roles in families for almost two decades, and his research has demonstrated how much teens and parents need to trust and support each other. He has published more than 100 papers on how families can support or erode an adolescent’s healthy development and sense of well-being, including a recent article in the journal Family Process revealing that when adolescents perceive a less stable relationship with their parents, their well-being suffers.
In this Q&A, Fosco spoke about how parents can best support their teenage child’s growth and well-being.
Q: What are the most important ways to support a teenager’s growing sense of independence?
Fosco: As parents, it is our job to help our children safely grow into independent adults. To facilitate this, talk to your children about where they will be and who they will be with. But when you do this, remember that it is normal for teenagers to sometimes lie as they explore their values and independence.
Another important step is getting to know the parents of your child’s friends. If your son says he is spending the night at his friend’s house, you can call the friend’s parents and ask if you can send snacks with your son. This is a friendly, supportive gesture, and — as a bonus — it helps you confirm whether your son is telling the truth.
You don’t want to stifle your child’s choices or independence, but with a network of parents who know each other’s children and what is going on, you can head off a lot of trouble before it begins.
The research on parental monitoring is crystal clear. Teens engage in fewer unhealthy risks and have better mental health when their parents are regularly aware of the teen’s activity. This is so powerful there is even a halo effect — if you stay aware of your child’s behavior, their closest friends are less likely to engage in negative, risky behavior. In contrast, children who are tightly controlled by their parents during adolescence can struggle to establish healthy romantic relationships and often perform worse in school.
Q: How does encouraging flourishing help teens avoid problems like substance use and depression?
Fosco: If you ask parents what they want for their children, you usually get answers like, ‘I want them to be happy,’ or ‘I want them to lead a full life.’ Yet, for many years, research on adolescence focused on what we don’t want for our children — delinquency, smoking and depression.
But the absence of problems is not the same as thriving. Flourishing — a state of purpose, high-functioning and happiness — gives us a target to strive for. These traits empower a young person’s ability to grow, live independently and pursue their dreams. Preliminary results from a current study indicate that youth with a sense of purpose also have lower suicide rates, higher academic engagement and better relationships.
In a recent study, we found that adolescents who have more life satisfaction or life purpose are less emotionally reactive to daily stressors. In other words, on challenging days, they don’t have strong emotional reactions. On the other hand, kids without this sense of purpose are more dysregulated by the ups and downs of life.
Our medical field gives diagnoses for the presence of problems, but there is no diagnosis for ‘thriving’ or ‘flourishing.’ In a way, this has been a barrier to devoting enough attention to promoting flourishing. Prior research suggests only about 20% of adolescents have a sense of purpose in life, while another 60% are exploring purpose but have not locked in. This means that the vast majority feel lost and without direction to some extent.
Q: How can parents help their teens develop a sense of purpose?
Fosco: Try to practice autonomy-supportive parenting, which involves the balancing act of fostering your teen’s independence by giving them choices in their lives while also maintaining boundaries.
A parent can’t decide their child’s purpose; you can’t tell anyone what matters to them. Instead, a parents’ job is to help their child identify what is personally important. Parents can listen carefully when their children share their interests and support them in learning more or participating in those activities. This might be providing transportation, sharing in children’s excitement or even volunteering to help events occur.
Not every interest will help your child develop a sense of purpose, but parental support provides the foundation a child needs to confidently explore what brings them happiness — even if it’s different from what their parent finds joy in.
What’s more, we need to be supportive even when we do not see the value of a child’s activities. Many parents worry about video games, for example. In moderation, video games can build valuable skills. Occasionally, gaming can even lead to careers, but even when gaming is just for relaxation, a healthy amount of leisure is very important.
Parents only need to intervene when video games — or whatever interest — interferes with other important life activities, such as sleep, schoolwork, family responsibilities or relationships. You need to look for signs that an interest is harming your child without assuming harm just because your child is making different choices than you would.
This type of parenting builds stronger relationships and trust with your child. You avoid fighting about things that are innocuous — like normal video gaming that you dislike — so that you have the credibility when you need to address something that harms your child’s well-being.
Q: Why does this trust between teens and parents matter?
Fosco: A few years ago, we conducted a study that I think about all the time. It demonstrated the other side of the same coin we found with our most recent study, where teens with more fragile relationships with their caregivers have a decreased sense of well-being.
In the older study, parents and children recorded how close they felt to one another every day. On days children felt close to their parents, they felt happier and had a stronger sense of meaning and purpose in their lives.
Our findings amazed me because they revealed that the impact of connections with parents — or teens— isn’t just ‘in the eye of the beholder.’ For example, on days when teens felt more connected to their parents, they experienced more well-being, meaning and purpose.
What really struck me is that their parents feelings of connection to the teen added to adolescents’ well-being those days. The same was true for parents: their own feelings and their child’s feelings of connection both contributed to parent’s daily well-being. Close relationships are a shared experience — we are affected by how our relationships feel to others, not just ourselves.
Q: How can parents get closer to their teens?
Fosco: First and foremost, remember that love is an essential nutrient for flourishing. Do not stop demonstrating affection for your child.
In adolescence, children often become less comfortable with displays of affection, especially in front of their peers. Parents sometimes feel rejected and stop, but teens still need to feel love. Find ways — through trial and error — to let your child know they are loved. You can almost certainly find a way that works for you and doesn’t embarrass your child.
Also, look for small opportunities when your child reaches out. Teens spend a lot of time not talking to their parents, so when they bring something up, try to engage with curiosity and not judgment.
Adolescents bring stuff up at weird times, and you might be trying to fix a meal or leave for work. Whenever you can, though, you need to fight the urge to move forward with your task. Pay attention to your child and ask questions like, ‘What was that like?' or ‘How did that feel for you?’ If you are attentive when they give you an opportunity, it might open the door to learning what is really on your child’s mind.
Finally, schedule fun things to do with your child, even if for only 15 minutes every week. Base it on what you both like — maybe playing a game of cards or shooting hoops.
Stopping to have fun matters.
When your child is grown and leaves the house, you will remember these moments with nostalgia, not because you are putting on rose-tinted glasses but because these moments matter in helping your child feel accepted, appreciated and supported.
It’s good for parents, too. Taking delight in your children adds value to your life. My kids are hilarious. We need to create opportunities to create these small treasures. That’s where the action is: the small stuff.
Journal
Family Process