Did you know that Utah Public Radio loves fun facts? Let us share with you something you may not know. Brought to you by the Emma Eccles Jones College of Education and Human Services.
Adults With Bachelor's Degrees
Did you know that at less than one-third of Americans hold at least a bachelor’s degree? But at least 30 percent of adults in 16 states, mostly on the coast, have earned a bachelor’s degree or higher? The three interior states among those 16 are Illinois, Minnesota, and Utah.
Learning Best When We Are Challenged
Did you know that not only do we learn best and remember more when we enjoy success at an appropriately challenging experience? We also will be more willing to seek out more challenging experiences?
Librarians Make A Difference
Did you know that librarians make a difference in the lives of students? A recent study showed that fewer librarians in school translated to lower performance or a slower rise in scores in standardized tests, particularly in fourth-grade reading scores.
Students Can Enhance Their Educational Experience
Did you know that students can enhance their online education when they connect with their professors? A live chat or a phone interview of an exam helps the faculty member know what challenges students are facing. It also gives them something to draw on when asked to write a letter of recommendation.
Reading To Your Children
Did you know that 26 percent of children that were read to three or four times in the last week by a family member recognized all letters of the alphabet? Compare that to 14 percent of children that were read to less frequently?
The Importance Of Outside Play
Did you know that nearly half of preschool children in the US do not go outside to play every day? And parents are less likely to take their daughters outside to play than their sons. Children’s books also focus less on natural environments today than they did 50 years ago.
Alzheimer's Disease
Did you know that the damage brought on by Alzheimer’s disease may begin years, or even decades before you begin to show signs of memory problems? That is why it is never to early to start making healthy lifestyle changes. Heart-healthy behavior can also significantly reduce the risk of Alzheimer’s disease. You can start now doing things that are good for you anyway like maintaining a healthy weight, eating right, getting regular exercise, managing stress, and nurturing healthy relationships. It also helps to get enough sleep. And of course, your risk to your brain and heart is lower if you don’t smoke.
Financial Infidelity
Did you know that about 40 percent of women and 33 percent of men have reported hiding purchases from their partner? The same poll found that 70 percent of women and 63 percent of men thought honesty about money was as important as remaining monogamous. Avoid financial infidelity!
Financial Risk
Did you know that men are much more willing to take financial risks than their wives? But fighting about it doesn’t do much good. Instead, review your investments together at least once a year and make sure that your portfolios balance each other out. This will lead to healthier finances.
Making Healthy Choices
Did you know that it is easier to make healthy choices when your energy doesn’t run too low? So, eat breakfast, exercise, and make those improvements to your lifestyle.
Remembering Information
Did you know that students retain content from an informational text better than they do when the information is embedded in a story? Did you know that when students are rewarded for reading across a wide range of genres of texts, it has a positive impact on their attitude of reading? When young children are given a choice of books to receive as a gift they often favor informational books.
Saving Accounts For Children
Did you know that you can open a savings account for your children as soon as you have their social security numbers? Start saving for their education today!
Scenes Of Nature
Did you know that looking at scenes from nature can make you less impulsive? Researchers at USU found that people who viewed natural scenes made better decisions.
Storytelling Skills And Comprehension
Did you know that storytelling skills are linked to reading comprehension? In a recent USU study, children who learn to develop their own stories improve their comprehension and vocabulary.
Sports And Supportive Parents
Did you know that spending more on your child’s sports experience may not help her feel motivated to stay with it? USU researchers say that the best way to motivate your young athlete is to be supportive, but not critical.
Special-education Teachers
Did you know that there is a shortage of special education teachers in Utah? Based on the Bell School Superintendent survey, there is a greater need for teachers of young children with severe disabilities and mild/moderate disabilities from preschool to high school than a teacher in any other field.
Instructional Technology And Learning Sciences
Did you know that graduates from instructional technology and learning sciences can land high-paying jobs in several different sectors? Including K-12 and higher education, corporate American, government and government subcontractors.
Students With Disabilities And College
Did you know that students with disabilities can go to college? Students from all over the nation with disabilities want to have careers, and many are taking college classes. As these young adults learn to socialize and interact with others, they live with roommates and receive support from mentors, tutors, and assistive technology. Students become more independent as they find internships and employment leading to meaningful career paths. Students with intellectual or developmental disabilities can thrive in a higher education environment as they explore the full college experience.
GEAR UP For College
Did you know that your student may already be in a program that prepares kids for college? The GEAR UP grant from the U.S. Department of Education provides funds that allow middle and high school students to get a taste for university education. The program targets schools where more than half of the student body is on free or reduced lunch plans, giving low-income students access to college that might not otherwise be available. Students begin in seventh grade and remain with the program into their first year in college.
Apps For Depression
Did you know that researchers are developing apps to help with depression? Studies have found that online programs can help people learn Acceptance & Commitment Therapy, or ACT, which has been proven to help with a variety of mental health issues, including depression and anxiety. People who are unsure about starting therapy can first learn ACT skills using an online program and then progress to therapy sessions. The ACT model teaches skills that can be applied in a variety of ways, such as mindfulness, time management, and handling challenging emotions.
Education Connection With Culture
Did you know that students perform better when their education is connected to their culture? Researchers have found that material is learned more easily and retained longer when it relates to aspects of a student’s cultural heritage. In southern Utah, these findings are being implemented with Native American youth to help students learn engineering, math and science principles. The projects that have been developed combine hands-on learning experiences with intergenerational learning, giving students an opportunity to work with their parents and grandparents.
Robots And Children's Developmental Skills
Did you know that robots can help children develop skills to work and learn together? Researchers have found that when interacting with educational robots—even those designed for solo use—children will invite friends and peers to play the games and complete the activities with their classmates. Using a smartphone app, the small robots can teach nearly any academic skill. What’s more, language-translation technology can help young students who are not yet proficient in English to participate, allowing these students to learn in the classroom at the same speed as their English-speaking peers.
Parental Involvement In Youth Sports
Did you know that parental involvement in youth sports programs can strengthen family relationships? Research on the impact of parent involvement in their children’s sport participation, the role of sport participation on family relationships and parent-child interaction, and the outcomes of parent support and pressure in youth and adolescent sport contexts has been highlighted in the New York Times, the Wall Street Journal, and the Chicago Tribune. This research is also being used by youth sport leagues, administrators, and parents to build effective sport programs that support youth development.
