FABBS reports on items of interest to many communities – scientists, policymakers, and the public. In our news, you will see updates on science funding and policy, articles that translate research for policy, and descriptions of the research contributions of scientists at all stages of their research careers.
To Make Every Child a Reader, Teach Them All Differently
It’s hard to believe that questions about how children learn to read could cause a war, but in the 1970’s and 80’s, that’s exactly what happened. During the “reading wars,” proponents of the phonics approach believed beginning readers needed to focus on sounding out letters and words, while whole language advocates argued for immersing children in interesting texts and focusing on meaning, with the faith that reading specific words would follow. That debate has long been settled
read moreFor Teaching Math, Two Ways Are Better Than One
If you think you’re bad at math, you’re not alone. Large percentages of adults lack confidence in their math skills; even teachers have surprisingly low ratings of their ability in the subject. But it might be possible to reverse that trend for our children. Research suggests that one straightforward approach can help students develop a clearer understanding of math: teaching multiple strategies to perform the same skill. When teachers demonstrate two ways to do subtraction or multiply
read moreDeciphering Clues in Human Behavior
Cognitive scientist Rick Dale could be called a detective of human behavior. He is an expert at measuring how our bodies reveal clues to our thoughts and social interactions that are otherwise invisible. These cues can be subconscious and subtle, he has found – a quick eye movement, a change in the pitch of a voice, the way we hold a computer mouse – but surprisingly meaningful. For example, they can help employers figure out who will work well together on a project, and reveal how much we
read more21st Century Cures Becomes Law- Provide New Funds for NIH and Opioid Crisis
On December 13, President Obama signed into law H.R. 34, the 21st Century Cures Act, a bipartisan piece of legislation Congress had been negotiating since the original bill passed the U.S. House of Representatives in July 2015. The bill affects primarily the Food and Drug Administration and the National Institutes of Health (NIH) and includes provisions intended to improve mental health, building on recommendations from the President’s Mental Health and Substance Use Disorder Parity Task
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