Dr. Molly Scott
Molly is a Research Scientist examining the impact of on-going projects associated with the Playful Learning Landscapes Action Network. She is passionate about advocating for playful learning opportunities for all children. Before this, she was a Goldberg Postdoctoral Research Fellow in the NEED Lab at Teachers College, Columbia University under the direction of Dr. Kimberly Noble. Working on the Baby’s First Years project, the first randomized controlled trial examining the impact of poverty reduction on family wellbeing and children’s developmental outcomes, Molly led the piloting and training of the Age 4 data collection wave. She received her PhD at the Temple Infant and Child Lab working with Dr. Kathy Hirsh-Pasek. During her time at Temple, she worked on the Language for Reading project, which aimed to increase the vocabulary ability of preschoolers from disadvantaged backgrounds through shared book reading and playful learning activities. Her dissertation study examined how improving the categorization abilities of young children can create more meaningful vocabulary learning experiences. Molly was also a Graduate Student Fellow in the Temple Public Policy Lab. Her interests include using principles from the science of learning to improve pedagogies in the classroom, and translating developmental science for parents, teachers, policy makers, and other stakeholders.