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.
“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….
Podcast #107: Why Play Beats Flashcards for Raising Brilliant Kids! – aParently Speaking Podcast, September 1, 2025
“On this episode of aParently Speaking, host Miriam Conner sits down with child development experts Dr. Roberta Michnick Golinkoff and Dr. Kathy Hirsh-Pasek, co-authors of the bestselling Einstein Never Used Flashcards.” Listen HERE….
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...
“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 >
“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….
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.