Research reviews on how children learn

We read the published guidance on how children learn, play and use screens, and set out what it says in plain words, with every source linked so you can check it. These are reviews of other people's research, not studies of our own. Free to read and to print.

$Cover graphic for the report Why Is Math Important and How Children Learn It$

2026 Edition

Why Is Math Important and How Children Learn It

Curiosity, Number Sense, Algebra Readiness, Problem Solving and Daily Practice Across K to 12

Secondary research for educators, teachers, parents and K to 12 students on why mathematics matters and how children learn math, drawing on the National Research Council, the U.S. Department of Education, the OECD and the Education Endowment Foundation.

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2026 Edition

Developmental Milestones for Children Aged 2 to 8

Fine Motor Skills, Screen Time and Daily Activity from Age 2 to Age 8

Secondary research on developmental milestones and fine motor skills for ages two to eight: what the CDC, AAP and WHO already publish, in plain English, with every claim traced to its source and every source linked.

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2026 Edition

The State of Modern Homeschooling

Academic Outcomes, Socialization, Neurodiversity and Family Learning at Home

A research review for families, drawing on NHERI, the Peabody Journal of Education, the National Center for Education Statistics, UNESCO and the WHO to set out what the evidence says about home education, how much of it is settled, curriculum and legal options, and practical guidance.

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2026 Edition

The Future of Childhood in the Age of AI

Artificial Intelligence in Learning, Play, Creativity, Safety and Child Development

A research review of what UNESCO, UNICEF, the OECD, the WHO and leading universities publish on how artificial intelligence affects child development, personalized learning, digital play, privacy and the skills children will need.

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2026 Edition

Learning Through Play

Play, Creativity and Digital Activities in Children's Learning

A research review of what the AAP, WHO, UNESCO and NAEYC publish on how children learn through play, why balanced digital activities have a place alongside screen-free learning, and how parents, teachers and schools can put it into practice.

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Why we publish research

GamesMom is a free educational platform for children aged three to twelve. Alongside the games and activities, we publish secondary research reviews: we read what the leading bodies already publish about how children learn, check every claim against the source, and put it in plain words that parents, teachers and schools can use. We do not run studies of our own. Every review names the organizations behind it and links each document it draws on.

New reports are added over time. Each one gathers reliable guidance, sets it out plainly, and introduces original models to make the ideas easier to apply at home, in the classroom and across a school.

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