Naptime could have beneficial effect on language learning in preschool-age children

Research has shown that naps play an important role in sustaining new learning in infants. A new study from the University of Arizona suggests naptime could have a similar effect on language learning in preschool-age children. Researchers studied verb learning in 3-year-olds and found that those who napped after learning new verbs had a better understanding of the words when tested 24 hours later. The findings, which will be published in the journal Child Development, suggest that parents may want to consider maintaining regular naptimes for preschoolers, who are at an age at which naps have a tendency to dwindle, said lead study author and UA alumna Michelle Sandoval, who conducted the research as a doctoral student in the UA Department of Psychology.(more)