Center for Young Children (CYC)

Preschool Number Line Estimation (Ages 3-5 years)
This study’s primary aim is to examine the benchmark influences on children’s number line estimation performance and reveal children's ordinal understanding of numbers. The study will involve three activities for children as well as a short demographic survey for parents. For children, the first activity will entail playing games with a researcher involving pointing out the position of a number on the line. In the second activity, children will play one of the versions of benchmark in the number line game with a researcher. In the third activity, children will do the number line game with a researcher like in the first activity. Children ages 3- to 5-years old are invited to participate in this project.

Online signup: https://umdsurvey.umd.edu/jfe/form/SV_8wA6j0wiy22yV5c
Prather Lab website: https://www.cogdevlab.umd.edu/prather-lab/

Speech Perception and Language Processing (Ages 5-6 years)
This study investigates the ability of children aged 5-11 to identify emotions from vocal stimuli without the aid of facial expressions. The child will be instructed to point to the facial expression a person is making on the computer screen that best fits with the sentence from a speaker that is expressing a specific emotion. The study uses a randomized design with three different order conditions to control for order effects.

Newman Lab website: http://langdev.umd.edu/

Playful Minds (Ages 3-6 years)
In this project we are looking to understand what parents and their preschool-aged children do during their everyday play at home. The study involves 1 take-home activity where you will play with toys with your child, 1 at-school session with a researcher and your child where they will play games and complete tasks, and 1 online questionnaire. Each session and the survey will last 20-30 minutes.

Online signup: https://umdsurvey.umd.edu/jfe/form/SV_bpT3TQsri2dEOGi
Ramani Lab website: https://sites.google.com/umd.edu/ecilab/home/
 

A Picnic Together (Ages 4-6 years)
This study aims to examine parent-child communication during informal learning activities. For this study, parents will come to the center and play for 16 minutes with their child. The first half of this time they will play with some materials and the rest of the time with a book that the experimenter will provide. After this interaction, parents will complete a brief 10 min survey that collects demographics and learning practices at home. Finally, the experimenter will come on a different day to do three activities with the child related to words, numbers and cognitive functions. Children 4-6 are welcome to participate in this study.

Ramani Lab website: https://sites.google.com/umd.edu/ecilab/home/
 

Study Continuation from 2023-2024 School Year

Project on Children's Language Learning (Ages 3-6 years)
These studies help us learn about children's development in understanding language and thinking about the world and others. Each session takes about 15 minutes, and your child may be invited to participate in one or several sessions. In a session, a researcher will have some stories or a game setup showing in slides on a laptop or with physical props, and we record each child's answers and choices as, for example, Kermit asks for an explanation because he can't see what's on the other side of this wall, or the researcher asks which box the child wants to open after Olaf gave a clue.

Lidz Lab website: https://jefflidz.com/
 

Precision Memory in Preschoolers (3-5 years)

This study investigates memory for precise events in children. During the study session, your child will play a game where they will look at a group of pictures and then in a second game will be asked to make a judgement about whether or not they have seen the pictures before in the previous game. These memory games will last around 15 minutes. 

Online signup: https://umdsurvey.umd.edu/jfe/form/SV_3KNPcihkhKciuua
Riggins Lab website: http://ncdl.umd.edu/

The Effect of Noise Level and Accent on Children's Memory (3-4.5 years)

This study aims to learn about the effects of accented speech and noise on children's working memory. This study will be split into two-sessions, about 15 minutes in length, where your child will be asked to point to the images that an accented or unaccented speaker prompts them to point to. Children ages 3 - 4.5 years old are invited to participate in this study.

Newman Lab website: http://langdev.umd.edu/

What words does your child know? (Ages 3-6 years)

This study aims to help us learn the best ways to determine the words that children know. This study includes two sessions of activities, and we will also ask you to complete surveys about your child’s language skills. During the sessions, we will ask your child to (1) watch a video and look at the picture that matches the words stated during the videos (2) point to pictures in a book that are named by the researcher and (3) participate in a play-based activity with the researcher. Children aged 3 to 6 years old are welcome to participate in this project.

Newman Lab website: http://langdev.umd.edu/
Huang Lab website: http://languageandcognition.umd.edu/index.html

Off-Site Research that may be of interest to CYC Families: 

Preschool Language and Neural Engagement Study (PLANES) (Ages 3-5 years)

The purpose of this research project is to better understand how children’s early experiences relate to their cognitive development, and how their brain development from age 3-5 years helps to support their cognitive development. The procedures involved in this study include tabletop assessments, computer games, a parent-child free play session, two kinds of brain imaging, and home language recording. This will take place across three campus visits and one at-home audio recording in year 1, and another three campus visits and at-home audio recording as a follow-up one year later. Your child will receive a token of appreciation for their participation in this study each year, like a small toy or game, and a printed a picture of their brain. You will be compensated for your time. You and your child will be asked to participate in each procedure, but may opt out of any part at any time. Additionally, both you and your child may take breaks as much as needed.

Consent Form 
Flyer 
Romeo Lab website: https://education.umd.edu/leadlab