Kathy Hirsh-Pasek is the Stanley and Debra Lefkowitz Professor of Psychology at Temple University in Philadelphia, where she directs the Temple University Infant Language Laboratory. She is the author of 14 books and over 200 publications on early childhood and infant development, with a specialty in language and literacy, and playful learning.

Biography

Hirsh-Pasek was one of the investigators on the acclaimed National Institute of Child Health and Human Development Study of Early Child Care and Youth Development, co-authored the language and literacy curricula for the State of California Preschools, and serves as an advisor on the National Institute of Health Toolbox initiative. She was co-creator of the moral development curricula, An Ethical Start, and speaks widely on ways to translate primary research findings into practice for young children. Her research has been funded by the National Science Foundation (NSF), the Institute of Education Sciences (IES), and the National Institutes of Health and Human Development, among other institutions. An advocate of the importance of play and playful education in early childhood, she is a founder and member of the executive committee of The Ultimate Block Party which drew more than 50,000 people to its inaugural event at Central Park in New York City in October 2010. She is also a founding member of the and Playful Learning Landscapes ; the Latin American School for Educational and Cognitive Neuroscience, and of the Learning Science Exchange Fellowship. She does development work for childhood education company MindChamps. Before coming to Temple, Hirsh-Pasek had served on the faculties of Rutgers University, Swarthmore College, and Haverford College. Her book, Becoming Brilliant, written with colleague Roberta Golinkoff, was on the NYT Best Seller's list in education and parenting. Hirsh-Pasek is also a senior fellow at the Brookings Institution's Center for Universal Education. She was the past president of the International Congress of Infant Studies and was on the governing board of the Society for Research in Child Development. Hirsh-Pasek has three sons: Dr. Josh Pasek, Dr. Michael H. Pasek, and composer Benj Pasek.

Awards and honors

Hirsh-Pasek is a fellow of the American Psychological Association, the Cognitive Development Society, the American Educational Research Society and the American Psychological Society. Her book Einstein Never used Flashcards: How Children Really Learn and Why They Need to Play More and Memorize Less (Rodale, 2004) won the Books for Better Life Award for best psychology book. Her latest book, Becoming Brilliant: What Science Tells Us about Raising Successful Children (2016), was on The New York Times Best Seller List in both education and parenting. She and her longtime collaborator Roberta Michnick Golinkoff were joint recipients of the 2009 American Psychological Association (APA) Award for Distinguished Service to Psychological Science and the 2011 Urie Bronfenbrenner Award for Lifetime Contribution to Developmental Psychology in the Service of Science and Society from the American Psychological Association. She is a recipient of the Association for Psychological Science (APS) James McKeen Cattell Award, the Society for Research in Child Development (SRCD) Distinguished Scientific Contributions to Child Development Award.

Education

Hirsh-Pasek received her B.S. in psychology and music from the University of Pittsburgh and her Ph.D. in human development from the University of Pennsylvania.

Books