Most parents will agree that they want children to help around the house – and yet this is often a struggle, especially in the teenage years, says Melissa Hogenboom. Research suggests that all children are naturally helpful, and parents play a crucial role in keeping it this way. Any incentive beyond an intuitive desire to help diminishes helpfulness, Hogenboom says. Read the article here. 

Researchers can use electrodes to measure children’s brain activity as they complete tasks. This can provide clues as to how teachers might optimise the learning environment, says Paul Matusz in the first of a three-part series on measuring brainwaves to understand how children learn. Portable EEG will soon allow researchers to measure children’s brainwaves in school as they learn. Read the article here.