A Prescription for Play: Why play fosters social and cognitive development
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 […]
PlayFutures webinar with PEDAL: Playing with infants and toddlers
Listen to Dr Vicky Leong, Dr Ciara Lavery and Dr Melissa Scarpate talk about playing with infants and toddlers in this webinar hosted by PlayFutures.
PEDAL | BBC Breakfast report on playful writing
Acting Director of PEDAL, Dr David Whitebread, is interviewed in a BBC Breakfast report on playful approaches to learning and ‘playful writing’ in schools. This report was originally recorded in February 2017.
PEDAL Workshop: Pedagogy of Play Workshop
PEDAL invited Ben Mardell (Project Zero, Harvard University) and Camilla Uhre Fog (Head of the International School of Billund) to share with teachers at the University of Cambridge Primary School their experience of working together to develop a Pedagogy of Play. Through the work of the teachers at ISB, this collaboration has managed to define […]
PEDAL Seminar: Bringing Self-Regulated Learning to Classrooms through Research Practice Partnerships
Dr. Nancy Perry is the Dorothy Lam Chair in Special Education and Professor of Educational and Counselling Psychology and Special Education at the University of British Columbia (UBC), Canada. Her research has two main goals: understanding how classroom processes are implicated in children’s development of self-regulated learning (SRL); working with teachers to design activities and […]
PEDAL Seminar: Play, self-regulation and early childhood – What does research say?
A rare opportunity to hear from two of the world’s foremost developmental psychologists about how their research has been applied to education and social policy. Of particular interest to academics, teachers, early years practitioners, and third/public sector professionals, Professor Blair and Professor Sylva highlight the effects of early education on development, attainment and fulfilling individual […]
PEDAL Seminar: Pretence and Creativity during Childhood and Beyond
This joint Psychology & Education and PEDAL seminar by Dr Julie Kirkham examines pretend play and creativity in the context of early and middle childhood. Dr Julie Kirkham is a Senior Psychology Lecturer and Programme Leader for the MSc Family and Child Psychology at the University of Chester. Her research interests include children’s symbolic development […]
PEDAL Seminar: Play and Learning in Finnish Education Policy and Practice
Play is a serious matter for young children across all cultures. This is evidenced by the passionate, intensive and energetic engagement many children invest in this activity. Play experiences are widely recognised to create the foundation for a child’s healthy and holistic development. In Finland, opportunities for play are highly regarded in the education of […]
Play: A window into children’s social worlds
This was a keynote lecture from world renowned Professor of Educational Psychology, Professor Anthony Pellegrini titled Object Use & Play in Childhood: Development and Possible Social Functions. Professor Pellegrini discussed the potential evolutionary significance of play and the challenges and rewards of getting scientists out of the lab and onto the playground! Professor Anthony Pellegrini […]
Shaping Social Play Behaviour in Interactive Playgrounds
The introduction of sensing technology in traditional play spaces such as playgrounds has given rise to the possibility of analysing children’s behaviour during actual play. Not only can this help to better understand what is going on during games but when combined with feedback and actuation technology, such as projections or robots, it can be […]
Harnessing New Technology to Better Understand the Family Language Environment
In this PEDAL presentation, Dr Elian Fink talks about the collaborative project Baby Talk, where they used a light-weight wearable pedometer to record infant-caregiver interactions. Play interactions between infant and caregiver have been studied in developmental psychology under many guises, including attachment behaviours, parental sensitivity and scaffolding. Baby Talk aimed to explore the association between […]
PEDAL Seminar: Self-regulation – Foundation skills for children’s healthy development
Part of the PEDAL Seminar series, in this seminar PEDAL and the Psychology & Education research group at the Faculty of Education, University of Cambridge come together to discuss the importance of children’s self-regulation skills. This seminar is introduced by Dr David Whitebread, and is presented by Dr Megan McClelland (Hallie Ford Center for Healthy […]
What matters to children themselves when they start school?
Christine O'Farrelly, Ailbhe Booth (University College Dublin), Mimi Tatlow-Golden (The Open University), and Beth Barker
Supporting families with their children’s behaviour: The Healthy Start, Happy Start Study
Christine O’Farrelly, Hilary Watt, Daphne Babalis, Marian Bakermans-Kranenburg, Beth Barker, Sarah Byford, Poushali Ganguli, Ellen Grimas, Jane Iles, Holly Mattock, Julia McGinley, Charlotte Phillips, Rachael Ryan, Stephen Scott, Jessica Smith, Alan Stein, Eloise Stevens, Marinus van IJzendoorn, Jane Warwick, Paul Ramchandani.
The protective effects of peer play against mental health problems
Yiran Vicky Zhao, Jenny Gibson
