‘How being messy helps toddlers to learn more’

It will come as scant consolation for busy parents.But scientists have discovered that messy children are more likely to be better at learning.Toddlers who grasp, feel, taste and even throw objects – especially their food – are constantly gathering information about the world around them, according to a new study.Psychologists tested 72 toddlers each aged […]

It will come as scant consolation for busy parents.
But scientists have discovered that messy children are more likely to be better at learning.
Toddlers who grasp, feel, taste and even throw objects – especially their food – are constantly gathering information about the world around them, according to a new study.
Psychologists tested 72 toddlers each aged 16 months, presenting them with a number of items and then seeing if they could learn their made-up names.
And they discovered that those who were more messy were better at learning and retaining the words.
Dr Larissa Samuelson, whose team at the University of Iowa carried out the study, said: ‘It may look like your child is playing in the high chair, throwing things on the ground, and they may be doing that, but they are getting information out of those actions.
‘And, it turns out, they can use that information later.’
Each child was given 14 non-solid objects, including strawberry jam, cheese, butterscotch, chocolate sauce and oatmeal.
The toddlers were then told the name of each of the items – a simple made-up word such as ‘dax’ or ‘kiv’. A minute later they were given the same objects in a different shape and asked to identify the objects again.
The scientists found that the children who used more ‘messy actions’ such as grasping, picking up or bringing the objects to their mouth, accurately named more items than those who used ‘non-messy actions’ such as poking with a finger.
Researchers also found that messy children were better at retaining the names of items
Lynn Perry, co-author of the paper, said: ‘For those who were using non-messy actions, the chance of them correctly identifying each object was roughly 50 per cent. For those using messy actions, about 70 per cent of the identifications were correct.’
The toddlers were also divided into two groups, with one set sitting in a highchair and the other at a table.
Those in the highchair performed better, which the report authors say demonstrates that the act of eating is associated with learning.
Dr Samuelson, associate professor in psychology at the university, said: ‘It turns out that being in a high chair makes it more likely you’ll get messy, because kids know they can get messy there.
‘Playing with these foods there actually helped these children in the lab, and they learned the names better.’
Famously messy: Physicist Albert Einstein, left, and writer Roald Dahl, right, have both favoured untidy desks
Dr Samuelson, senior author of the paper, added: ‘Children at that age are used to seeing non-solid things in this context, when they’re eating.
‘If you expose them to these things when they’re in a highchair, they do better.
‘They’re familiar with the setting and that helps them remember and use what they already know about non-solids.’
The psychologists said exercise demonstrates how children’s behaviour and ability to explore helps them acquire an early vocabulary, which is linked to cognitive development as they grow older.
The report, entitled Highchair Philosophers and published in the journal Developmental Science, said: ‘Information gained through active manual exploration is sometimes essential to knowing what something is.
‘It may look like your child is throwing things on the ground… but they are getting information out of that action’
– Dr Larissa Samuelson
‘Imagine trying to determine which of two cups of white fluid was milk and which was glue. Static visual information would be of little help, but inserting a finger into one cup would quickly clarify.’
The authors added: ‘When young children messily eat and explore food at each meal, they are learning both about individual foods and about non-solid substances more generally.
‘Children may be doing more than just making a mess in the moment: they are forever changing… the way they will learn over development.’
The findings come after a separate scientific study last year discovered that people are often more productive in messy spaces.
While many employers promote clean-desk policies, German researchers at the University of Groningen found that people actually thought more clearly when surrounded by chaos, as they sought to simplify the tasks at hand.
Famous thinkers and writers who have been notorious for their untidy desks include physicist Albert Einstein and writer Roald Dahl.
Culled from Mail Online