Why is it that the best and brightest of our children are arriving at college too burned out to profit from the smorgasbord of intellectual delights that they are offered? Why is it that some preschools and kindergartens have a majority of children struggling to master cognitive tasks that are inappropriate for their age? Why is playtime often considered to be time unproductively spent?
In Play=Learning, top experts in child development and learning contend that the answers to these questions stem from a single source: in the rush to create a generation of Einsteins, our culture has forgotten about the importance of play for children's development. Presenting a powerful argument about the pervasive and long-term effects of play, Singer, Golinkoff, and Hirsh-Pasek urge researchers and practitioners to reconsider the ways play facilitates development across domains. Over forty years of developmental research indicates that play has enormous benefits to offer children, not the least of which is physical activity in this era of obesity and hypertension. Play provides children with the opportunity to maximize their attention spans, learn to get along with peers, cultivate their creativity, work through their emotions, and gain the academic skills that are the foundation for later learning. Using a variety of methods and studying a wide range of populations, the contributors to this volume demonstrate the powerful effects of play in the intellectual, social, and emotional spheres.
Play=Learning will be an important resource for students and researchers in developmental psychology. Its research-based policy recommendations will be valuable to teachers, counselors, and schoolpsychologists in their quest to reintroduce play and joyful learning into our school rooms and living rooms.

In just a few years, today's children and teens will forge careers that look nothing like those their parents and grandparents knew. Even the definition of ""career"" and ""job"" are changing as more people build their own teams to create new businesses, apps, and services. Although these changes are well underway, most systems lag behind. Most education systems still subscribe to the idea that content is king. The exclusive focus on content is reflected in what is tested and taught, and even in the toys that we offer our children at home. Employers want to hire excellent communicators, critical thinkers, and innovators - in short, they want brilliant people. But they are often disappointed. So what can we do, as parents, to help our children be brilliant and successful? Stories about the failures of our educational systems abound, but most of them stop after pointing out the problems. Becoming Brilliant goes beyond complaining to offer solutions that parents can apply right now. Authors Roberta Michnick Golinkoff and Kathy Hirsh-Pasek provide a science-based framework for how we should be educating children in and outside school. Parents become agents of change for children's success when they nurture six critical skills. Constructed from the latest scientific evidence and presented in an accessible way rich with examples, this book introduces the 6Cs - collaboration, communication, content, critical thinking, creative innovation, and confidence - along with tips to optimise children's development in each area. Taken together, these are the skills that will make up the straight-A report card for success in the 21st century.

Now Available in Paperback
In this book two highly credentialed child psychologists offer a compelling indictment of the growing trend toward accelerated learning. It's a message that stressed-out parents are craving to hear: Letting tots learn through play is not only okay-it's better than drilling academics
Drawing on overwhelming scientific evidence from their own studies and the collective research results of child development experts, and addressing the key areas of development-math, reading, verbal communication, science, self-awareness, and social skills-the authors explain the process of learning from a child's point of view. They then offer parents 40 age-appropriate games for creative play. These simple, fun--yet powerful exercises work as well or better than expensive high-tech gadgets to teach a child what his ever-active, playful mind is craving to learn.
Kathy Hirsh-Pasek, Ph.D., is a member of the psychology department at Temple University, where she directs the Infant Language Laboratory and participated in one of the nation's largest studies of the effects of child care. The mother of three sons, she also composes and performs children's music.
Roberta Michnick Golinkoff, Ph.D., is the H. Rodney Sharp Professor in the School of Education at the University of Delaware, where she holds a joint appointment with the departments of linguistics and psychology and directs the Infant Language Project. She has also been a recipient of the John Simon Guggenheim Memorial Fellowship and is the mother of a son and a daughter.
Together, Hirsh-Pasek and Golinkoff were featured on the PBS "Human Language" series and are the co-authors of "How Babies Talk."
Diane Eyer, Ph.D., is a member of the psychology department at Temple University and also the author of "Motherguilt" and "Mother-Infant Bonding."
After decades of research, scientists and child development experts have come to a clear conclusion: Play is the best way for our children to learn. Experts have found that children who are prematurely pushed into regimented academic instruction display less creativity and enthusiasm for learning in later years, and that children who memorize isolated facts early in life show no better long-term retention than their peers. However, children who learn through play develop social and emotional skills, which are critical for long-term success.
Somewhere along the line, this important book argues, we've gotten off track by stressing academic products and programs to our preschoolers. Thankfully, Hirsh-Pasek and Golinkoff have a simple remedy--go play--for our children that is based on overwhelming scientific evidence from their own studies and the collective research results of child development experts.
"Einstein Never Used Flash Cards" goes beyond debunking the myths spread by the accelerated-learning industry. Parents, educators, and other readers will find a practical guide to introducing complex concepts through smart, simple, and loving play. For every key area of a child's development (speech, reading, math, social skills, self-awareness, and intelligence), this study aims to show how a child's mind actually learns. The book also offers useful exercises--40 in all--that are meant to highlight childrens' emerging skills and while helping them prepare for tomorrow.
"Although parents know that the early years are learning years, just what that means has been confusing--until now. "Einstein Never Used Flash Cards" makes practical sense of the vast number of technical studies and the hyperbole of advertising claims. It explains in clear, compelling, and scientific terms how learning really takes place. This book is a must-read for parents, grandparents, teachers, caregivers, pediatricians, and policy makers--in other words, all those who care about (and for) the next generation of children."--Ellen Galinsky, president and cofounder of the Families and Work Institute in New York City
"An elegant summary of what mind and brain science can tell us about child development and learning. The reasonable and reassuring implications the authors draw from this research provide a much-needed corrective to the hype and distortions all too prevalent in the popular media. Finally, the truth "--John T. Bruer, Ph.D., President of the James S. McDonnell Foundation and author of "The Myth of the First Three Years"
"Parents eager to know what to do--and even more important, what "not" to do--to help their children discover and take advantage of their hidden talents will find this well-written book a treasure trove of information and advice. A trustworthy parenting resource from two highly respected scholars "--Linda Acredolo, Ph.D., professor of psychology at the University of California, Davis, and author of "Baby Signs" and "Baby Minds"
"Although parents know that the early years are learning years, just what that means has been confusing--until now. "Einstein Never Used Flash Cards" makes practical sense of the vast number of technical studies and the hyperbole of advertising claims. It explains in clear, compelling, and scientific terms how learning really takes place. This book is a must-read for parents, grandparents, teachers, caregivers, pediatricians, and policy makers--in other words, all those who care about (and for) the next generation of children."--Ellen Galinsky, president and cofounder of the Families and Work Institute in New York City

We are robbing young children of play time at home and school in an effort to give them a head start on academic skills like reading and mathematics. Yet the scientific evidence suggests that eliminating play from the lives of children is taking preschool education in the wrong direction. This brief but compelling book provides a strong counterargument to the rising tide of didactic instruction on preschool classrooms. The authors present scientific evidence in support of three points: 1) children need both unstructured free time and playful learning under the gentle guidance of adults to best prepare for entrance into formal school; 2) academic and social development are inextricably intertwined, so academic learning must not trump attention to social development; and 3) learning and play are not incompatible. Rather, playful learning captivates children's minds in ways that support better academic and social outcomes as well as strategies for lifelong learning. Written in clear and expressive language, this book offers a comprehensive review of research supporting playful learning along with succinct policy and practice recommendations that derive from this research. A Mandate for Playful Learning in Preschool is a must read for teachers, policy makers, and parents interested in educating a generation of life-long learners who are ready for school and ready to compete in the knowledge-based economy of the 21st century.

In their first three years of life babies face the most complex learning endeavor they will ever undertake as human beings: They learn to talk. Now, as researchers make new forays into the mystery of the development of the human brain, authors Roberta Michnick Golinkoff and Kathy Hirsh-Pasek, both developmental psychologists and language experts, offer parents a powerfully insightful guidebook to how infants--even while in the womb--begin to learn language. Along the way, the authors provide parents with the latest scientific findings, developmental milestones, and important advice on how to create the most effective learning environments for their children. This book takes readers on a fascinating, vitally important exploration of the dance between nature and nurture, and explains how parents can help their children learn more successfully.

Why is it that the best and brightest of our children are arriving at college too burned out to profit from the smorgasbord of intellectual delights that they are offered? Why is it that some preschools and kindergartens have a majority of children struggling to master cognitive tasks that are inappropriate for their age? Why is playtime often considered to be time unproductively spent?
In Play=Learning, top experts in child development and learning contend that the answers to these questions stem from a single source: in the rush to create a generation of Einsteins, our culture has forgotten about the importance of play for children's development. Presenting a powerful argument about the pervasive and long-term effects of play, Singer, Golinkoff, and Hirsh-Pasek urge researchers and practitioners to reconsider the ways play facilitates development across domains. Over forty years of developmental research indicates that play has enormous benefits to offer children, not the least of which is physical activity in this era of obesity and hypertension. Play provides children with the opportunity to maximize their attention spans, learn to get along with peers, cultivate their creativity, work through their emotions, and gain the academic skills that are the foundation for later learning. Using a variety of methods and studying a wide range of populations, the contributors to this volume demonstrate the powerful effects of play in the intellectual, social, and emotional spheres.
Play=Learning will be an important resource for students and researchers in developmental psychology. Its research-based policy recommendations will be valuable to teachers, counselors, and school psychologists in their quest to reintroduce play and joyful learning into our school rooms and living rooms.