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About

Elizabeth R. Kazakoff is a pioneering researcher in early childhood education, whose work has fundamentally reshaped our understanding of how young children engage with technology. Her primary research areas center on computational thinking, robotics, and programming in early childhood settings, with a specific focus on how these tools can enhance cognitive development. Kazakoff’s most influential contribution is her groundbreaking 2013 study, "Computational Thinking and Tinkering," which has amassed over 933 citations and established the foundational framework for integrating robotics into preschool curricula. Her 2012 paper on the effect of intensive robotics workshops on sequencing ability (424 citations) demonstrated that even children as young as four can develop critical sequencing skills through hands-on programming activities. Through a series of influential studies involving the CHERP programming tool, Kazakoff consistently showed that robotics activities improve children's ability to order events logically—a skill essential for later reading comprehension and mathematical reasoning. Her work at the Tangible Kindergarten project has been instrumental in creating developmentally appropriate programming tools for young learners, proving that computer science concepts can be introduced effectively in pre-kindergarten classrooms.