Dr. Emily Relkin investigates the impact of information technologies on early childhood development. Her primary area of expertise is the assessment of computational thinking skills in preschool through elementary school children.

Dr. Relkin is co-leader of a randomized control trial of the PBS KIDS Work it Out Wombats!, a media program that is part of the Ready To Learn Initiative funded by the U.S. Department of Education. Work it Out Wombats! is designed to teach vital computational thinking and social emotional skills necessary to succeed in school to preschool children, with a special emphasis on families from low-income households.

Prior to joining EDC, Dr. Relkin created and validated TechCheck, an unplugged computational thinking (CT) assessment for children ages 3–9. TechCheck presents children with engaging puzzle-like challenges that are analogous to those that arise in the course of computer programming but do not require coding experience to complete. Dr. Relkin also has designed early childhood multi-center educational studies, curricula, professional development programs, and family-based learning initiatives for young children.

Dr. Relkin holds a PhD. and an MA in Child Study and Human Development from Tufts University, and a BA in Psychology from Muhlenberg College.