A Professor of Psychology at Temple University and a senior fellow at the Brookings Institution, Hirsh-Pasek was declared a “scientific entrepreneur” by the American Association of Psychology. Writing 15 books and 250+ publications, her Einstein Never Used Flashcards won the Book for a Better Life Award in 2003 with her Becoming Brilliant (2016) reaching the NYTimes Best Sellers List in education. Co-founder of the global Learning Science Exchange Fellowship, she brings together scientists, journalists, policy makers and entertainers, to put learning science in the hands of educators. Her newest initiative Playful Learning Landscapes re-imagines cities and public squares as places with science infused designs that enhance academic and social opportunities. Read her newest book Making Schools Work: Bringing the Science of Learning to Joyful Classroom Practice (2022) co-written by teachers, school administrators and scientists to bring about joyful teaching and deeper learning.
“Screens in the First Five Years: What We Need to Know” – Webinar, Children and Screen: Institute of Digital Media and Child Development, October 14, 2025
This Learning Tuesdays session was moderated by Kris Perry, MSW, of Children and Screens: Institute of Digital Media and Child Development, who began the webinar by grounding the discussion in the latest science. Dimitri Christakis, MD, MPH, also with Children and Screens, emphasized that “research has found that there are really no demonstrable benefits to screen use before the age of 18 months. And in fact, very strong suggestions that there’s harm associated with early screen use for children that young.”
The panelists then turned to the real-world challenges families face in navigating a crowded and often misleading marketplace of apps and media. Kathy Hirsh-Pasek, Ph.D., of Temple University and the Brookings Institution shared findings from her research: “We did a study of the hundred most downloaded apps and…how many of them had real educational value? Well, I’ll give you the answer. It was two.” WATCH HERE…
“Policy guardrails needed as babies around the world begin to interact with AI” – Brookings Institute Commentary, September 21, 2025
“The human brain is primed for social interaction. In the first few years of life, thousands of daily interactions shape lifelong social and cognitive systems that prepare us to live and work with other humans, and to engage in symbolic thinking through systems like numeracy and language. Decades of developmental cognitive and neuroscience research have made it clear that young humans cannot develop optimally without daily, real-time interaction with their caregivers, educators, and peers.” READ MORE….
“AI is coming for our babies — putting their brains at risk” – NY Post, Opinion, September 17, 2025
“A baby giggles in her crib, eyes locked on the voice calling her name.
She babbles, and a soft plastic robot with blinking eyes responds instantly — mimicking her sounds, reflecting her emotions, keeping perfect time.
She smiles.
And keeps smiling.
Except there’s no one there.” READ MORE….
“How to reimagine education for the 21st century” – Brookings Institute Commentary, September 9, 2025
“Across the globe, education systems are facing a critical reckoning. Employers report that too many graduates enter the workforce lacking the skills needed to thrive, such as communication, collaboration, and critical thinking.” READ MORE….
The latest tweets on Science & Learning
A fabulous overview article by our very own @blhassinger who shows the collective power of Playful Learning Landscapes! #playfullearning @playfullearng @JournalUrbanism
AI is an exquisitely good synthesizer but not an exquisitely good thinker. Thank you @Makai Allbert for this article.
We are so excited to launch in Santa Ana! @UCIrvine @playfullearng @Bustamante_AS #PlayfulLearningLandscapes
Kathy's work appears in news publications around the world.
Check out some of the latest...
“Screens in the First Five Years: What We Need to Know” – Webinar, Children and Screen: Institute of Digital Media and Child Development, October 14, 2025
This Learning Tuesdays session was moderated by Kris Perry, MSW, of Children and Screens: Institute of Digital Media and Child Development, who began the webinar by grounding the discussion in the latest science. Dimitri Christakis, MD, MPH, also with Children and Screens, emphasized that “research has found that there are really no demonstrable benefits to screen use before the […]
Read full story >
“Policy guardrails needed as babies around the world begin to interact with AI” – Brookings Institute Commentary, September 21, 2025
“The human brain is primed for social interaction. In the first few years of life, thousands of daily interactions shape lifelong social and cognitive systems that prepare us to live and work with other humans, and to engage in symbolic thinking through systems like numeracy and language. Decades of developmental cognitive and neuroscience research have […]
Read full story >
“AI is coming for our babies — putting their brains at risk” – NY Post, Opinion, September 17, 2025
“A baby giggles in her crib, eyes locked on the voice calling her name. She babbles, and a soft plastic robot with blinking eyes responds instantly — mimicking her sounds, reflecting her emotions, keeping perfect time. She smiles. And keeps smiling. Except there’s no one there.” READ MORE….
Read full story >
Some of Kathy's books include:
Making Schools WorkBringing the Science of Learning to Joyful Classroom Practice
User’s Manual for the Quick Interactive Language Screener™: English–Spanish (QUILS™: ES)A Measure of Vocabulary, Syntax, and Language Acquisition Skills in Young Bilingual Children
User’s Manual for the Quick Interactive Language Screener™ (QUILS™)A measure of Vocabulary, Syntax, and Language Acquisition Skills in Young Children
Becoming Brilliant:What Science Tells Us About Raising Successful Children
A Mandate for Playful Learning in Preschool:Presenting the Evidence
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Kathy is a Senior Fellow at the Brookings Institution, where she contributes articles to her Blog on a regular basis.