CLC Lab at CSUSM

(left to right) Celeste, Erika and Sydney presented their research projects at the 2026 annual research fair at CSUSM!

Our team had our last visit before spring break at the Escondido Library book reading. We had a table set up to share information about our research and to invite parents to join our study participant pool.

Thank you to Escondido Library for having us and to everyone who stopped by to say hi. We look forward to working with you and your little ones in our future studies!

If you missed us there and would like to join our participant pool, you can use the link below. Our studies focus on how children learn and develop through everyday experiences, and participation typically involves fun, engaging activities for both children and parents. Small thank-you gifts will be given depending on how much time the study takes.

https://sites.google.com/view/clc-lab-csusm/parents?authuser=0

Our team had another great time at the book reading we attended at the Escondido Library. We had a table set up to share information about our research and to invite parents to join our study participant pool.

Thank you to Escondido Library for having us and to everyone who stopped by to say hi. We look forward to working with you and your little ones in our future studies!

If you missed us there and would like to join our participant pool, you can use the link below. Our studies focus on how children learn and develop through everyday experiences, and participation typically involves fun, engaging activities for both children and parents. Small thank-you gifts will be given depending on how much time the study takes.

https://sites.google.com/view/clc-lab-csusm/parents?authuser=0

Meet the Spring 2026 team at the Child Learning and Cognition Lab!

We are excited to work with parents to better understand how children learn.

Dr. Yu Zhang leads the CLC Lab and works closely with a graduate student and a team of dedicated research Assistants. Meet them below from left to right:

Joshua Ensminger RA, James Wilkinson RA, Alyah Ochoa RA, Adali Rios RA, Nasrin Shaaban RA, Yu Zhang PhD Lab Director, Erika Gomez, Celeste Ateek RA, Sydney Sanchez RA, and Simon Purto Graduate Student.

If you have kids and would like to help us learn more about how children learn, you can join our participant pool. Below is a link where you can join and learn more about the studies we conduct. Small thank-you gifts will be given depending on how much time the study takes. https://sites.google.com/view/clc-lab-csusm/parents?authuser=0

Our team had another great time at the Escondido Library book reading. We had a table set up to share information about our research and to invite parents to join our study participant pool.

Thank you to Escondido Library for having us and to everyone who stopped by to say hi. We look forward to working with you and your little ones in our future studies!

If you missed us there and would like to join our participant pool, you can use the link below. Our studies focus on how children learn and develop through everyday experiences, and participation typically involves fun, engaging activities for both children and parents. Small thank-you gifts will be given depending on how much time the study takes.

https://sites.google.com/view/clc-lab-csusm/parents

One of our new research studies looks at analogies in educational media. This research project explores how educational media helps children make meaningful connections that support their understanding of new and abstract concepts

If you have kids and would like to help us learn more about how children learn, you can join our participant pool. Below is a link to join and learn more about the studies we conduct. Small thank-you gifts will be given depending on how much time the study takes.

https://sites.google.com/view/clc-lab-csusm/parents?authuser=0

We want to congratulate one of our Research Assistants, Sydney Sanchez, who placed 1st in the CSUSM Social Innovation Challenge!

The Social Innovation Challenge is a contest to brainstorm an innovative approach to a service, product, or program that will help solve real-world equity problems.

Sydney wanted to address how women's chronic medical problems are often overlooked by medical professionals. Sydney’s proposed approach was a chatroom where women who faced medical problems could come together to discuss and provide resources to each other. She titled this proposed chatroom as “Soul Sister”.

Projects were voted on by a panel of judges and Sydney got first place, winning the grand prize of 1000$! The Child Learning and Cognition Lab is proud of the work our Research Assistants have done and will continue to do!

Meet the team at the Child Learning and Cognition Lab!

We are excited to work with parents to better understand how children learn.

Dr. Yu Zhang leads the CLC Lab and works closely with a graduate student and a team of dedicated research Assistants. Meet them below from left to right:

Yu Zhang, PhD Lab Director, Simon Purto Graduate Student, Joshua Ensminger RA, Celeste Ateek RA, Sydney Sanchez RA, Erika Gomez, Jasmyn Sorapuru, and Nasrin Shaaban RA (not pictured).

If you have kids and would like to help us learn more about how children learn, you could help us out by joining our participant pool. Below is a link where you can join and learn more about the studies we conduct. Small thank-you gifts will be given depending on how much time the study takes.
https://sites.google.com/view/clc-lab-csusm/parents?authuser=0

Classrooms aren’t the only place where children develop their math skills! 🧮✨
At the Child Learning and Cognition Lab (CLC Lab) at CSUSM, one of our current projects explores how children learn math in informal settings like the Boys and Girls Club. We’re studying how the design of learning materials can influence children’s engagement and help them build math and spatial reasoning skills through play and exploration.

👶🧠 Want to help us learn more about how children learn?
If you have kids, you can join our participant pool! Families in our pool receive invitations to take part in surveys or fun, play-based studies. As a thank-you, participants receive small gifts based on the time commitment for each study.

➡️ Learn more and sign up here: https://sites.google.com/view/clc-lab-csusm/parents?authuser=0

Our team had another great time at the book reading we attended this past week at the Escondido Library! We had a table set up to share information about our research and to invite parents to join our study participant pool.

Thank you to Escondido Library for having us and to everyone who stopped by to say hi. We look forward to working with you and your little ones in our future studies!

If you missed us there and would like to join our participant pool, below is a link where you can join and learn more about the studies we conduct. Upon completing a study, you will receive a small thank you gift of a gift card.
https://sites.google.com/view/clc-lab-csusm/parents?authuser=0