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Category: Communication & Language Development
U: Unconventional ideas: What is creativity and how can it be nurtured?
5 July 2022
Why are play researchers interested in creativity?
Play and Self-regulation
5 July 2022
Self-regulation helps a child guide their thoughts, emotions and behaviours to accomplish a goal – how does play support this important area of development?
David Whitebread Memorial Lecture 2022: Theory and Research on Self-Regulated Learning Meet Real Life in Classrooms
15 June 2022
PEDAL and the Whitebread family come together annually for the David Whitebread Memorial Lecture to celebrate the memory of Dr David Whitebread, PEDAL’s founder and a pioneer in early childhood development research. This is a recording of the inaugural David Whitebread Memorial Lecture, given by Professor Nancy Perry from the University of British Columbia in […]
Agency in Play: Making Space for Children’s Agency With Learning Through Play
6 December 2021
This short animation summarises a new theoretical paper written by the Play in Schools & Learning team that explains the role of play in supporting children’s agency in their learning. How can you make space for children’s agency in their learning? By including play! Play develops children’s motivation and self-regulation, both of which support children’s […]
Evidence-based interventions in the first 1001 days: A PEDAL panel discussion
1 October 2021
PEDAL and the First 1001 Days Movement hosted a fascinating lunchtime panel considering how to ensure our youngest children and their families receive the most appropriate, timely and effective intervention to support their health and development. Professor Mike Robling (Director of Population Health Trials, University of Cardiff) and Professor Paul Ramchandani (LEGO Professor of Play, […]
School Break Times & Young People’s Social Lives in England
16 June 2021
In this lunchtime webinar, PEDAL was joined by Dr Ed Baines from the UCL’s Institute of Education. School breaktimes are important social play settings for children and young people. In the past decade there have been changes to schools and education in England, reports of increases in structured school clubs, and concerns about school food, […]
Play in Green Spaces: A PEDAL panel discussion
25 March 2021
Adults instinctively feel that playing outside is good for children, but what is actually known about the benefits of play in green spaces? As cities around the world continue to expand, more children are growing up without access to the countryside, or even to parks and gardens. Playtime takes place indoors or in the built […]
PEDAL Seminar: Toddlers Think for Themselves!
12 March 2019
Social learning has been a large focus of early developmental psychology for the past three decades. While it reveals how culture is transmitted to young children, questions about how young children come up with their own ideas and learn for themselves have been largely ignored. This talk, with Dr Elena Hoicka from the University of […]
PEDAL Seminar: Not Too Early, But Just Right! – Unleashing the Power of Science in Early Childhood
12 July 2018
Professor Daryl Greenfield is a Professor of Psychology and Pediatrics at the University of Miami. His work is positioned at the interface of research, policy and practice at the international, national and local level. His research examines school readiness with at-risk and dual language learners, with a specific focus on early science education. Science has […]
A Prescription for Play: Why play fosters social and cognitive development
18 May 2018
Join PEDAL for a public lecture by world-renowned psychologist Kathy Hirsh-Pasek, evaluating the evidence for the importance of free play and guided play as a catalyst for learning in social and cognitive development. Kathy explored why play, particularly guided play, might offer a successful midway position between the warring factions of playful and didactic approaches […]