Kathy Hirsh-Pasek is unequivocal about the importance of unstructured play for children's learning and thriving. Her research examines early language and literacy development and the role of play in learning, resulting in hundreds of articles and 14 books with longtime colleague Roberta Golinkoff. Stanley and Debra Lefkowitz Faculty Fellow in the Department of Psychology at Temple University and Senior Fellow at the Brookings Institution, she was elected to the National Academy of Education in 2021. She co-directs Temple's Infant and Child Laboratory and is a co-author of the landmark AAP report on play.
