Lightnews — Scholar-powered news

Paul Ramchandani @paulramchandani.bsky.social · 21d

This is one of very few long term studies of a brief early intervention to improve mental health in young children. The news is positive - we can make sustained improvements for children early in their lives. Something that early years practitioners know - now there is more research to back it up.

PEDAL Research Centre @pedalcam.bsky.social · 22d

The long-term follow up findings of our Healthy Start, Happy Start study have been published in the Journal Of Child Psychology And Psychiatry: doi.org/10.1111/jcpp...

@camedfac.bsky.social @nihr.bsky.social @imperialcollegeldn.bsky.social @ucl.ac.uk

<em>Journal of Child Psychology and Psychiatry</em> | ACAMH Pediatric Journal | Wiley Online Library

Background Behaviour problems are common in childhood and are associated with higher rates of mental health problems, educational and relationship difficulties throughout life. This study assessed w...

doi.org

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Reposted by Paul Ramchandani

The Institute for Fiscal Studies @theifs.bsky.social · Jun 3

IFS Associate Director @ckfarquharson.bsky.social gives evidence to @commonshealth.bsky.social tomorrow at 9:30am on the provision of early years services and our recent report on the impact of Sure Start centres.

Find out more here: committees.parliament.uk/event/24353/...

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Reposted by Paul Ramchandani

PEDAL Research Centre @pedalcam.bsky.social · May 29

It's your last chance to book your place for the #PEDALConference2025 as ticket sales close at 11pm on Friday!

🎟️ pedalhub.net/conference2025

PEDAL Research Centre @pedalcam.bsky.social · May 8

Due to popular demand, we've just released another 30 tickets for the #PEDALConference2025! 🎟️ If you've been thinking about booking, now is the time! ⏰

Book your ticket for the #PEDALConference2025 at pedalhub.net/conference2025

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Reposted by Paul Ramchandani

PEDAL Research Centre @pedalcam.bsky.social · May 22

Do you work with or volunteer with children under five? Please complete this survey about AI in the early years and/or share with your networks.

cambridge.eu.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_...

Thanks so much!

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Paul Ramchandani @paulramchandani.bsky.social · May 23

2/2 Catherine Draper (Witts Unit, South Africa), Ellen Sandseter (Queen Maud Uni, Norway), Bo Stjerne Thomsen (LEGO Education), Julian Grenier (EEF) and Nikhit D'Sa (Notre Dame Uni, USA).
It'll be a day filled with learning and good company. Here's the link to book:
www.pedalhub.net/news-events/...

PEDAL Conference 2025 - PEDAL

Join us at PEDAL’s 2025 Conference to celebrate our 10th anniversary and a decade of play and early years research!

www.pedalhub.net

Paul Ramchandani @paulramchandani.bsky.social · May 23

A few places left for our PEDAL annual conference on 11th June. We've booked the biggest room in the Faculty and so can squeeze a few more in. As well as Minister Stephen Morgan MP, we have lots of excellent early years and play science and practice, with experts from all over including....(1/2)

PEDAL Research Centre @pedalcam.bsky.social · May 21

We'll be joined at the #PEDALConference2025 by keynote speaker @stephenmorganmp.bsky.social, Minister for Early Education at the Department for Education

Learn more at: pedalhub.net/conference20...
Book your tickets at: pedalhub.net/conference2025

Stephen Morgan MP was appointed Minister for Early Education at the Department for Education on 9 July 2024. He was re-elected as the Member of Parliament for Portsmouth South in July 2024.

Stephen leads on a wide portfolio as the Minister for Early Education. He covers all aspects of Early Years and Childcare policy, as well as being the ministerial lead for AI and digital & data, education estates, school food, safeguarding, behaviour, sustainability and mental health support in schools.

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Reposted by Paul Ramchandani

PEDAL Research Centre @pedalcam.bsky.social · May 21

We'll be joined at the #PEDALConference2025 by keynote speaker @stephenmorganmp.bsky.social, Minister for Early Education at the Department for Education

Learn more at: pedalhub.net/conference20...
Book your tickets at: pedalhub.net/conference2025

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Reposted by Paul Ramchandani

Prof Sarah-Jayne Blakemore @sjblakemore.bsky.social · May 22

Very good article by Amy Orben

"we propose that if there is inadequate safety information available about a digital product ... researchers and policymakers should lower the evidence thresholds needed to start testing interventions to address potential harms."

www.nature.com/articles/d41...

The fight to keep big tech in check: digital researchers are in ‘David and Goliath’ battle

Resource constraints hobble analyses of how digital technologies affect mental health, and take a huge toll on the scientists working to make the online world safer.

www.nature.com

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Reposted by Paul Ramchandani

PEDAL Research Centre @pedalcam.bsky.social · Apr 30

We've sold 75% of the available tickets for the #PEDALConference2025!

Book your ticket at pedalhub.net/conference2025 and join us at @camedfac.bsky.social on Wednesday 11th June 2025 🎟️

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Reposted by Paul Ramchandani

PEDAL Research Centre @pedalcam.bsky.social · May 1

We'll be joined at the #PEDALConference2025 by keynote speaker @juliangrenier.bsky.social, Senior Content and Engagement Manager for Early Years at the Education Endowment Foundation.

Learn more at: pedalhub.net/conference20...
Book your tickets at: pedalhub.net/conference2025

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Reposted by Paul Ramchandani

PEDAL Research Centre @pedalcam.bsky.social · May 2

Join us at the #PEDALConference2025 where @juliangrenier.bsky.social will present "Play, access and opportunity: Game-changing action for children".

Learn more at: pedalhub.net/conference20...
Book your tickets at: pedalhub.net/conference2025

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Reposted by Paul Ramchandani

PEDAL Research Centre @pedalcam.bsky.social · May 8

Due to popular demand, we've just released another 30 tickets for the #PEDALConference2025! 🎟️ If you've been thinking about booking, now is the time! ⏰

Book your ticket for the #PEDALConference2025 at pedalhub.net/conference2025

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Reposted by Paul Ramchandani

Wendy Russell @wendyrussell.bsky.social · May 9

#Academics in England! Please sign & share! A group of us across academic disciplines have drafted a letter in support of the #PlayCommission's call for an English national #PlayStrategy. It will be submitted alongside others from people in built environment, health, education etc. bit.ly/4dalQed

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Paul Ramchandani @paulramchandani.bsky.social · May 9

Wonderful to see the findings from this important trial published. Congratulations to the research team and all involved in delivering it. Challenging findings, that I still need to digest, but good to see this trial, in a complex area of practice, being delivered.

Dennis Ougrin @dennisougrin.bsky.social · May 9

www.nature.com/articles/s41...

Infant mental health services for birth and foster families of maltreated pre-school children in foster care (BeST?): a cluster-randomized phase 3 clinical effectiveness trial - Nature Medicine

In a trial examining the effectiveness of an infant mental health service targeting birth and foster families of children aged 0–5 years, families were randomized to receive care from either a multidi...

www.nature.com

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Paul Ramchandani @paulramchandani.bsky.social · May 2

One stream of work at PEDAL is developing ways to allow young children to express their views and feelings about things that matter to them.
A new paper from Dr Sydney Conroy looks at a way of exploring this, using sand tray methods. You can read about it here:
www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10....

Trusting play to be meaningful data: using sand tray as a play-based research method with an adapted interpretative phenomenological analysis

Play-based research methods wherein play itself is analysed as valuable and insightful data is sparse. This methodology article details one method for play-based research, sand tray, in conjunction...

www.tandfonline.com

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Reposted by Paul Ramchandani

PEDAL Research Centre @pedalcam.bsky.social · Apr 25

Join us at the #PEDALConference2025 where Dr Nikhit D'Sa will present "Leveraging alternative systems to support children’s development amid crisis".

Learn more at: pedalhub.net/conference2025speakers
Book your tickets at: pedalhub.net/conference2025

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Reposted by Paul Ramchandani

PEDAL Research Centre @pedalcam.bsky.social · Apr 24

We'll be joined at the #PEDALConference2025 by keynote speaker Nikhit D’Sa, developmental psychologist & applied education researcher at the Global Center for the Development of the Whole Child.

Learn more at: pedalhub.net/conference20...
Book your tickets at: pedalhub.net/conference2025

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Reposted by Paul Ramchandani

Foundations – What Works Centre for Children & Families @foundationsww.bsky.social · Apr 30

Just one day to go until the launch of the new Foundations Guidebook! ⏳

The Guidebook is a free, online digest of over 130 interventions, which makes it easy to access evidence on what works for children & families & put it into practice. Watch this space to find out more 🔍

A Foundations branded graphic that reads: 1 day to go. Launch of the Foundations Guidebook'. Below this is a calendar icon, followed by the date: Thursday 1 May 2025. Next to this is an icon of a local decision maker, wearing a suit with their hands on their hips. The background is a blurred screen capture of the Guidebook website.

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Reposted by Paul Ramchandani

PEDAL Research Centre @pedalcam.bsky.social · Apr 17

We'll be joined at the #PEDALConference2025 by keynote speaker Ellen Beate Hansen Sandseter, Professor at the Department of Physical Education and Health at Queen Maud University College

Learn more at: pedalhub.net/conference2025speakers
Book your tickets at: pedalhub.net/conference2025

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Reposted by Paul Ramchandani

PEDAL Research Centre @pedalcam.bsky.social · Apr 19

We'll be joined at the #PEDALConference2025 by keynote speaker @DrCathD, Associate Professor in the SAMRC Developmental Pathways for Health Research Unit at the University of the Witwatersrand in SA 🇿🇦

Learn more at: pedalhub.net/conference20...
Book your tickets at: pedalhub.net/conference2025

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Reposted by Paul Ramchandani

PEDAL Research Centre @pedalcam.bsky.social · Apr 21

Join us at the #PEDALConference2025 where Dr Catherine Draper will present "Early childhood development and the ‘next 1000 days’: Research and implementation insights from South Africa"

Learn more at: pedalhub.net/conference2025speakers
Book your tickets at: pedalhub.net/conference2025

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Reposted by Paul Ramchandani

The Royal College of Psychiatrists @rcpsych.bsky.social · Apr 14

The first five years of life are crucial to a child’s development, the prevention of future #mentalhealth conditions and the promotion of mental wellbeing and resilience. Read more about our case for action here: www.rcpsych.ac.uk/docs/default...

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Reposted by Paul Ramchandani

PEDAL Research Centre @pedalcam.bsky.social · Apr 16

Bo Stjerne Thomsen, Head of Educational Impact at LEGO Education will present "Play: The future of learning and thriving" at the #PEDALConference2025

Learn more at: pedalhub.net/conference20...
Book your tickets at: pedalhub.net/conference2025

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Reposted by Paul Ramchandani

PEDAL Research Centre @pedalcam.bsky.social · Apr 16

We're so excited to introduce you to our first #PEDALConference2025 keynote speaker: Bo Stjerne Thomsen, Head of Educational Impact at LEGO Education
🧱

Learn more at: pedalhub.net/conference20...
Book your tickets at: pedalhub.net/conference2025

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Reposted by Paul Ramchandani

PEDAL Research Centre @pedalcam.bsky.social · Mar 31

After our successful joint symposium with @starlightuk.bsky.social in 2023, we wanted to explore what more we could do together to improve children’s healthcare 🏥🧸

This new literature review is the result: www.pedalhub.net/projects/item/playing-with-childrens-health

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