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Emily Farran

@ekfarran

Professor of Psychology - spatial cognition in typical & atypical development, STEM. UKRN Institutional Lead, University of Surrey. Advocate of transparent & open research.

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21.11.2023
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Latest posts by Emily Farran @ekfarran

Thanks Dermot. Yes, Neil Jacobs shared it with me. It's great. We plan to list it in our next edition. Keep me posted if you do extend further.

22.09.2025 10:07 πŸ‘ 1 πŸ” 0 πŸ’¬ 1 πŸ“Œ 0

Time for our annual update of "Open Research across disciplines".
pdf: www.ukrn.org/disciplines/
K Reproducibility Network (UKRN) webpages: www.ukrn.org/disciplines/

Resources to add, please use (by 30/09/25): docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1F...

@camillakgilmore.bsky.social @priyasilverstein.com

16.09.2025 10:19 πŸ‘ 16 πŸ” 16 πŸ’¬ 1 πŸ“Œ 0
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Spatial Reasoning The ECMG’s spatial reasoning toolkit. What is spatial reasoning? How do we develop young children’s spatial reasoning? The answers are in the Spatial Reasoning Toolkit Β guidance and learning t…

>> 2/
The ECMG has a thorough and developmentally appropriate β€˜toolkit’ for developing spatial thinking from birth to 8, all **free** here: earlymaths.org/spatial-reas...
Please explore!

08.07.2025 12:49 πŸ‘ 8 πŸ” 3 πŸ’¬ 1 πŸ“Œ 0
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Spatial Reasoning The ECMG’s spatial reasoning toolkit. What is spatial reasoning? How do we develop young children’s spatial reasoning? The answers are in the Spatial Reasoning Toolkit Β guidance and learning t…

Giving every child the best start is about the most age and developmentally appropriate start. There’s now a plethora of international research pointing to the importance of young children’s spatial awareness as more influential on later mathematical (and wider) success, over number.
>>

08.07.2025 12:49 πŸ‘ 4 πŸ” 1 πŸ’¬ 1 πŸ“Œ 1
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How to boost children’s spatial skills – and their maths performance Training children’s spatial abilities improves maths performance, studies show – and new research from the University of Surrey identifies practical teaching methods to do just that

Training children's spatial skills improves their maths performance, research shows – and here are 6 ways teachers can do that

17.06.2025 11:35 πŸ‘ 2 πŸ” 3 πŸ’¬ 0 πŸ“Œ 0

No. It’s fine.
The day was first class, with v open discussions over shared research and good to see such a wide range of folk there. Lots of action points to advance spatial reasoning across phases. πŸ‘πŸΌ

22.05.2025 17:03 πŸ‘ 3 πŸ” 1 πŸ’¬ 0 πŸ“Œ 0

Exciting day today of maths education professionals meeting members of DfE and other key institutions providing material for schools, to relay the importance of spatial reasoning & how they’re going to take the research onboard.
At the moment we have a number-heavy curriculum.
It needs to change.

22.05.2025 06:49 πŸ‘ 13 πŸ” 4 πŸ’¬ 2 πŸ“Œ 1

With thanks in abundance to @ekfarran.bsky.social and University of Surrey πŸ‘πŸΌπŸ‘πŸΌπŸ‘πŸΌπŸ‘πŸΌπŸ‘πŸΌπŸ‘πŸΌ

22.05.2025 17:06 πŸ‘ 9 πŸ” 2 πŸ’¬ 0 πŸ“Œ 0

How does training spatial abilities impact #mathematics?

Join us on June 3rd for the Centre for Language, Literacy and Numeracy: Research and Practice's summer lecture, with @ekfarran.bsky.social!

Get your ticket now: www.ucl.ac.uk/ioe/events/2...

@ioe.bsky.social

10.05.2025 08:39 πŸ‘ 4 πŸ” 2 πŸ’¬ 0 πŸ“Œ 0
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Exploring the development of face recognition across childhood via logistic mixed-effects modelling of the standardised Cambridge Face Memory Test - Behavior Research Methods Individual differences in face identity recognition abilities are present across the lifespan but require developmentally differentiated methods of assessment. Here, we examine the empirical validity ...

Our new paper is just out in Behavior Research Methods! tinyurl.com/54jutzvd - with Louise Ewing, @ekfarran.bsky.social, Michael Papasavva, Ines Mares & @marielsmith8.bsky.social . We present data from 607 children aged 5-12 completing the Cambridge Face Memory Test for Children... 1/3

11.04.2025 10:17 πŸ‘ 15 πŸ” 6 πŸ’¬ 1 πŸ“Œ 0

How does training spatial abilities impact #mathematics?

Join us on June 3rd for the Centre for Language, Literacy and Numeracy: Research and Practice's summer lecture, with @ekfarran.bsky.social!

Get your ticket now: www.ucl.ac.uk/ioe/events/2...

@ioe.bsky.social

17.04.2025 14:04 πŸ‘ 1 πŸ” 2 πŸ’¬ 0 πŸ“Œ 0
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Spatial abilities and mathematics: From the lab to the classroom Join us for the Centre for Language, Literacy and Numeracy: Research and Practice's summer lecture, presented by Emily Farran.

How does training spatial abilities impact #mathematics?

Join us on June 3rd for the Centre for Language, Literacy and Numeracy: Research and Practice's summer lecture, with @ekfarran.bsky.social!

Get your ticket now: www.ucl.ac.uk/ioe/events/2...

@ioe.bsky.social

02.04.2025 14:00 πŸ‘ 3 πŸ” 1 πŸ’¬ 0 πŸ“Œ 0
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Spatial reasoning, part 4: Working out how things fit together - Nursery World Construction and jigsaw puzzles involve children in fitting shapes together, or into gaps. As they do this, they learn about shape properties, estimate size and develop rotation skills, say Dr. Cather...

Part 4 draws our superb series on #spatialreasoning to a close. Find age and stage ideas on composition and decomposition - fitting shapes together and taking them apart www.nurseryworld.co.uk/content/feat... #Nurseryworld thanks to @ekfarran.bsky.social and the team

03.04.2025 09:53 πŸ‘ 2 πŸ” 1 πŸ’¬ 0 πŸ“Œ 1
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Job Vacancy at the University of Surrey: Research Assistant in Neurodiversity & Motor Skills Development The University of Surrey is a global community of ideas and people, dedicated to life-changing education and research.Β We are ambitious and have a bold vision of what we want to achieve - shaping ours...

🚨 I'm hiring! 🚨

Passionate about motor learning in #dyspraxic and typically developing #children? Become a Research Assistant @modilab-surrey.bsky.social @surreypsychology.bsky.social
πŸ—“οΈ Apply by 12th Feb
πŸ”„ Spread the word!
jobs.surrey.ac.uk/Vacancy.aspx...

#neurojobs

27.01.2025 17:21 πŸ‘ 13 πŸ” 17 πŸ’¬ 0 πŸ“Œ 0
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University of Surrey on LinkedIn: #surreyshapes Congratulations to Professor Emily Farran who has been awarded the 2024 Developmental Psychology Section Impact and Engagement Award by The British…

Very honoured to be awarded the Developmental Psychology Section Impact and Engagement Award by The British Psychological Society. The award is for my work on the importance of spatial reasoning for mathematics.
www.linkedin.com/feed/update/...

28.01.2025 08:02 πŸ‘ 30 πŸ” 2 πŸ’¬ 5 πŸ“Œ 0
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Spatial reasoning part 1: Using the outdoors to develop this essential skill - Nursery World In the first of this four-part series, Professor Emily Farran, Catherine Gripton, Sue Gifford and Alison Borthwick consider the spatial possibilities of outdoor play

With Catherine Gripton, Sue Gifford, Alison Borthwick and Andrea Lancaster, I've been working with Nursery World on a series of four articles on spatial reasoning.

The first one is now out: www.nurseryworld.co.uk/content/feat...

For more on spatial reasoning: www.surrey.ac.uk/spatial-reas...

10.01.2025 12:51 πŸ‘ 7 πŸ” 2 πŸ’¬ 0 πŸ“Œ 1
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Bluesky Starter Packs - Bluesky Directory Browse a list of Bluesky Starter Packs. Discover and connect with your community on Bluesky

For everyone who is new, here’s the directory where you can find a list of starter packs and connect with people who have the same interests:

09.01.2025 05:02 πŸ‘ 11 πŸ” 5 πŸ’¬ 1 πŸ“Œ 0

Spatial reasoning platform policy briefings
#education #learning

08.01.2025 10:56 πŸ‘ 5 πŸ” 2 πŸ’¬ 0 πŸ“Œ 0

Thank you.

08.01.2025 09:47 πŸ‘ 0 πŸ” 0 πŸ’¬ 0 πŸ“Œ 0
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ECMG Early Childhood Maths Group

**Coming soon**
New website on early maths from earlymaths.org
AND
easy and appropriate research informed assessment indicators for spatial reasoning ChIPs.
Take a look at our number and pattern onesπŸ‘‡πŸΌ

08.01.2025 08:20 πŸ‘ 13 πŸ” 4 πŸ’¬ 0 πŸ“Œ 0
Policy briefings | University of Surrey

Excited to write for The Conversation UK. I talk about the latest TIMSS findings, geometry, and the importance of spatial play.

"English children lag behind in geometry – parents can help them learn through play" theconversation.com/english-chil...

For more: www.surrey.ac.uk/spatial-reas...

08.01.2025 08:37 πŸ‘ 7 πŸ” 1 πŸ’¬ 1 πŸ“Œ 3
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Eleanor Maguire | 1970 - 2025 | Online-Tribute.com Learning and memory are so fundamental to us, so enmeshed throughout cognition, that β€˜solving’ memory, unpacking its neural mechanisms and being able to conceptualise it fully will, I believe, res…

It is with profound sadness that we share the devastating news that Eleanor Maguire passed away on January 4th. She was a phenomenally brilliant neuroscientist, with immense passion for her work and many remarkable accomplishments. We will miss her terribly.

www.online-tribute.com/EleanorMaguire

06.01.2025 11:22 πŸ‘ 135 πŸ” 66 πŸ’¬ 4 πŸ“Œ 12

Great to see the FREE Primary Spatial Reasoning SKTM Programmes advertised. These programmes feature our spatial reasoning toolkit: earlymaths.org/spatial-reas...

For more on my thoughts on TIMSS and geometry: www.tes.com/magazine/tea...

For more: www.surrey.ac.uk/spatial-reas...

16.12.2024 14:56 πŸ‘ 4 πŸ” 0 πŸ’¬ 0 πŸ“Œ 0
REF 2029 main and sub-panel recruitmentΒ Β  – REF 2029

We have just opened recruitment for the REF 2029 panels. There is no nomination process and we invite you to put yourself forward 2029.ref.ac.uk/news/ref-202...

16.12.2024 14:23 πŸ‘ 6 πŸ” 9 πŸ’¬ 1 πŸ“Œ 2
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Timss: could a focus on spatial reasoning improve maths scores? The latest Timss international rankings show English pupils' weakness in key areas of maths – and our lack of focus on spatial reasoning is a major factor, argues Emily Farran

β€˜Simply put, children with good spatial reasoning skills are better at maths’: @ekfarran.bsky.social says the latest Timss rankings should inspire a focus on spatial reasoning in English maths curricula

09.12.2024 09:43 πŸ‘ 14 πŸ” 7 πŸ’¬ 0 πŸ“Œ 1

Had a wonderful week discussing navigation with the great & good of navigation research from across the world. Ernst Strungmann Forum: β€œNavigation Research; Mapping the Future” (esforum.de/forums/ESF38...). I Iearned a lot & met so many inspirational people. Thank you Nora Newcombe for inviting me.

08.12.2024 19:28 πŸ‘ 5 πŸ” 0 πŸ’¬ 0 πŸ“Œ 0
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Timss: could a focus on spatial reasoning improve maths scores? The latest Timss international rankings show English pupils' weakness in key areas of maths – and our lack of focus on spatial reasoning is a major factor, argues Emily Farran

Delighted to write for the Times Education Supplement.

Timms: Could a focus on spatial reasoning improve maths scores?

www.tes.com/magazine/tea...

For more: www.surrey.ac.uk/spatial-reas...

08.12.2024 19:23 πŸ‘ 20 πŸ” 8 πŸ’¬ 1 πŸ“Œ 0
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Our group after a week long StrΓΌngmann Forum in Frankfurt! Group 1 rocks!! @russellepstein.bsky.social @andrejbicanski.bsky.social @lukaskunz.bsky.social @flaviodonato82.bsky.social @ekfarran.bsky.social and others I can’t find yet on Bluesky

07.12.2024 18:01 πŸ‘ 14 πŸ” 2 πŸ’¬ 0 πŸ“Œ 1

I'll email it to you Jenni. However, the bots have got a lot cleverer since we wrote it. I wonder if we should do a collective update and put it on osf.

05.12.2024 17:35 πŸ‘ 2 πŸ” 0 πŸ’¬ 0 πŸ“Œ 0

@surreypsychology.bsky.social

28.11.2024 10:48 πŸ‘ 1 πŸ” 0 πŸ’¬ 0 πŸ“Œ 1