UoM Child Study Centre

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UoM Child Study Centre At the Child Study Centre we study how children learn to talk, play and make friends.

If you are interested in child development and have children aged 0-10, join our database here: https://www.qualtrics.manchester.ac.uk/jfe/form/SV_eb7dORdBauqGgSy

✨ Follow Me Friday! ✨Earlier this week, we introduced you to Gemma for Meet the Team Monday. Now, come along for a day i...
16/10/2026

✨ Follow Me Friday! ✨

Earlier this week, we introduced you to Gemma for Meet the Team Monday. Now, come along for a day in her life!

Gemma is completing a Graduate Teaching Assistant studentship alongside her part-time PhD. Let’s see what she gets up to on a typical day 👀

14/10/2026

It’s nearly ten years since Specific Language Impairment (SLI) was renamed Developmental Language Disorder (DLD) by a panel of international experts.

This should have been the start of a new era of support, recognition and understanding for people with DLD. But 1.3 million children and young people are still underrecognised, undersupported, underdiagnosed, and overlooked by public services across the UK.

We're calling it the lost decade.

Our new report explores the impact this failure has had on our communities, our country, our young people, our children and our families – and reveals what needs to change.
A whole decade of DLD support has gone missing. And 1.3 million children and young people are living with the consequences.

Read it in full now >> https://speechandlanguage.org.uk/the-issue/the-lost-decade/

We can't let the next generation suffer, too. Will you share this post to get the word out?

13/10/2026

📢Study Shoutout!
Do you or someone you know have a little one aged 9-11 months? 👶
We are currently running an EEG study investigating how babies form categories in the brain. 🧠
For more information contact:
[email protected]

🔬 We’re back on the road! 🚗We’ve been out and about again visiting local baby and toddler groups, chatting with families...
13/10/2026

🔬 We’re back on the road! 🚗

We’ve been out and about again visiting local baby and toddler groups, chatting with families and signing up new little scientists to take part in research at the Child Study Centre.! 🧠✨

To kick off the semester, we visited Tiny Talk in South Manchester.

A huge thank you to Emma and all the parents for making us feel so welcome. We loved meeting you! 💛

✨ NEW SERIES: Meet the Team Monday! ✨We thought it was time you got to know some of the people behind the research at th...
12/10/2026

✨ NEW SERIES: Meet the Team Monday! ✨

We thought it was time you got to know some of the people behind the research at the Child Study Centre! 🐝

First up is Gemma, a PhD researcher exploring oral storytelling and children’s language development. 📚💬

What exactly do researchers mean when they talk about “oral storytelling”, and how might it relate to children’s language? Swipe to learn more about Gemma’s research ➡️

And stay tuned as we introduce more members of the Child Study Centre team each Monday! 💜

✨Friday Fact ✨Researchers at the Child Study Centre have used recordings of conversations between children and caregiver...
02/10/2026

✨Friday Fact ✨
Researchers at the Child Study Centre have used recordings of conversations between children and caregivers to explore how children's everyday language experiences influence communication and learning.

From story time and playtime to chats at the dinner table, everyday conversations provide valuable opportunities for children to hear and practise language.

🔗 Read more about the research: https://documents.manchester.ac.uk/display.aspx?DocID=76915

28/09/2026

🌟Monday Method: Language Samples. 🎙️
How do researchers study children's language development?

One way is by collecting language samples.

Researchers record and analyse children's speech during conversations, storytelling activities, play sessions, or word-learning games. These language samples provide valuable insights into how children communicate, use vocabulary, build sentences, and develop their language skills over time.

Researchers might look at: 💬 The words children use
📖 How children tell stories
🧸 Conversations during play
🗣️ How children learn and use new words

✨Friday Fact✨What does a baby do before they can say, "Look at that!"?Often, they'll point, look between an object and t...
25/09/2026

✨Friday Fact✨
What does a baby do before they can say, "Look at that!"?

Often, they'll point, look between an object and their caregiver, or hold something up to share their interest. 👀👉

Research from the University of Manchester has examined how these early behaviours help babies communicate and establish shared attention with others. These interactions provide important foundations for learning language.

💛 Every point, glance, and shared moment is part of learning to communicate.

🧠 We're looking for curious little minds!If you have a child aged 0-10, join our research database to hear about opportu...
23/09/2026

🧠 We're looking for curious little minds!

If you have a child aged 0-10, join our research database to hear about opportunities to take part in child development research at The University of Manchester and help us discover more about how children learn and grow.

Please help by sharing this post with someone who might be interested :)

21/09/2026

👨‍👩‍👧 Monday Methods: Parent-Child Interaction Studies

Sometimes the best way to understand child development is to observe children and their caregivers spending time together.

By watching activities such as play, conversation, and story time, researchers can learn more about children's language, communication, and social development.

✨ Natural interactions
✨ Family-friendly research
✨ Valuable insights into child development

Many families tell us these studies feel just like everyday play!

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School Of Psychological Sciences, University Of Manchester, Coupland Building 1, Coupland Street
Manchester
M139PL

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