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 14 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.  
Guided play advances cognitive skills like language and reading, as well as social skills like emotion regulation.
In the last 20 years, advances in the sciences of infant development have allowed us to view the processes of early word learning for the first time.
Investment in early childhood is a moral imperative that also saves society from 7 to 14 dollars for every dollar spent.
The Official Website of
DR. KATHY HIRSH-PASEK

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 14 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.  

Learn more about Kathy >

  • “Whatever Happened to Building a Metaverse for Education?” – Edsurge Podcast, April 16, 2024

    “…So what happened to the early education experiments in the metaverse, and what do those watching the space think is next? To find out, we checked in with two experts for this week’s EdSurge Podcast — the same folks we had on as guests two years ago at the height of the metaverse craze. Those guests are Greg Heiberger, associate dean for academics and student success at South Dakota State University and Kathy Hirsh-Pasek, a professor of psychology at Temple University and a senior fellow at the Brookings Institution.” READ and LISTEN HERE…

  • “Active Playful Learning: In and Out of School” – UNESCO Happy Schools Symposium, March 27, 2024

    “UNESCO’s Happy Schools Initiative is a transformative effort that places happiness at the core of education. It recognizes happiness as both a means to and a goal of quality learning. Supported by scientific evidence linking happiness to improved learning, teaching, and overall well-being, this initiative emphasizes that academic excellence and happiness are not mutually exclusive.” Check out Kathy’s presentation on Active Playful Learning at the Symposium HERE….

  • “Play and Technology” – Podcast, Playgrounds to Pixels: Children in the Digital Tech Era, April 7, 2024

    “Today’s episode provides a fresh perspective from Dr. Kathy Hirsh-Pasek on the psychological impact of technology, especially on children. Dive deep into how children play and learn, and the ways technology is forever changing these interactions.” LISTEN HERE….

  • “How to Talk to Children About Cancer” – New York Times, March 22, 2024

    “Catherine, Princess of Wales, has been diagnosed with cancer and has started preventative chemotherapy. “It has been an incredibly tough couple of months for our entire family,” Catherine said in the video. She said that it has taken time to recover from surgery to start treatment for her cancer. “But, most importantly, it has taken us time to explain everything to George, Charlotte and Louis in a way that is appropriate for them, and to reassure them that I am going to be OK,” she added. Conversations like those that Catherine has had with her children are among some of the more important and delicate discussions that parents can have, according to Kathy Hirsh-Pasek, a professor of psychology at Temple University and a senior fellow at the Brookings Institution…” READ MORE….

The latest tweets on Science & Learning

kathyandro1 KathyandRo @kathyandro1 ·
17 Apr

Got to discuss VR and building a metaverse for education with @EdSurge

Retweet on Twitter KathyandRo Retweeted
blinkoffe Elias Blinkoff @blinkoffe ·
11 Apr

If you’re at #AERA24, join me and Kathy @KathyandRo1 tomorrow to explore competence-based education and possible implications for assessment… Kathy will be sharing an overview of @TheAPLProject and its connections to different assessment strategies:

kathyandro1 KathyandRo @kathyandro1 ·
9 Apr

Had fun chatting with Keshav Rastogi on Play and Techology on the Podcast "Playgrounds to Pixels: Children in the Digital Tech Era"....

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Kathy's work appears in news publications around the world.
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Some of Kathy's books include:

  • Making Schools Work
    Bringing the Science of Learning to Joyful Classroom Practice
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  • 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
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  • User’s Manual for the Quick Interactive Language Screener™ (QUILS™)
    A measure of Vocabulary, Syntax, and Language Acquisition Skills in Young Children
    BUY NOW:
  • Becoming Brilliant:
    What Science Tells Us About Raising Successful Children
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  • A Mandate for Playful Learning in Preschool:
    Presenting the Evidence
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View Complete List of Books >

View Complete List of Publications >

KATHY'S
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Kathy is a Senior Fellow at the Brookings Institution, where she contributes articles to her Blog on a regular basis.

Kathy's Brookings Institution Blog