The role of play on child development across cultures

Jaipaul Roopnarine PortraitA recent feature on the Child and Family Blog written by Pearl S. Falk Endowed Professor of Human Development and Family Science, Jaipaul L. Roopnarine, identified the significance of play on child development across cultures. In some cultures, Roopnarine notes that play is a pivotal building block. In others, it is considered an incidental activity. Roopnarine’s research article is available on the Child and Family Blog.

His research specialties include fathering and father-child relationships in diverse cultural and ethnic groups around the world; immigrant families-mental health, schooling, and identity; children’s play in diverse cultural settings; early childhood education in international perspectives; parenting styles and child outcomes in Caribbean and Caribbean immigrant families in the United States.

The Child and Family Blog is focused on transforming research on cognitive, social and emotional development and family dynamics into policy and practice. It reports on important research on how family influences social/emotional and cognitive child development.