Elaine Reese

I conduct research on how stories of all types (from books, TV/movies, video games, and real life) shape children's and adolescents' learning and wellbeing. Currently I am leading the Kia Tīmata Pai (Best Start) trial with early childhood educators to support young children's oral language, literacy, mathematics, and self-regulation. I was the Early Education domain leader for the Growing Up in New Zealand longitudinal study, and I am a former editor of the Journal of Cognition and Development. My book for parents, Tell Me a Story: Sharing Stories to Enrich Your Child’s World, was published by Oxford University Press in 2013. My upcoming book, How Stories Change Us: A Developmental Science of Stories from Fiction and Real Life, will be published by Oxford University Press in October 2024. I have written articles and blogs on family stories and reading to children for The Atlantic, The Conversation, Psychology Today, and Gecko Press.