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Dr. Julie Coultas is an evolutionary social psychologist with a particular interest in education. She is a visiting research fellow in the Department. Dr Julie Coultas of Psychology at the University of Sussex as well as a research fellow at Stockholm University.
She has worked on UK government education research and Swedish Research Council projects. Her research and teaching focus on: social learning (including conformity and cooperative behaviour), social development (including play), the emotions (developmental aspects), and gender differences. She is also a freelance consultant providing advice to various organisations including the BBC, Eden Project and Public Relations companies.
She has appeared on a BBC2 programme about toys, talking about VTech’s Alphabet Train. Julie has three grown-up children of her own, Ashley, Rowan and Holly and four grandchildren Oscar, Emmie, Milo and Herbie (with another two grandchildren on the way!). When she's not working or playing with her grandchildren she loves spending time on the South Downs with her horse, Tally.
To ask Julie a specific question regarding your child's development click below.
For all other technical queries please use the contact us form on the contact page.
For mums that want to help their kids learn more, faster, Whiz Kid is the learning through-play-toy that teaches them a wide variety of subjects because it combines experts that follow The National Curriculum with an easy to use console that can tap into the power of your home computer. Read all ►
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Unlike, passively, watching a TV programme or a DVD, children can interact with the Learning Games on VTech's InnoTab 2; children can learn at their own pace in a fun and engaging way. InnoTab 2 can be utilised as a learning system tool to make the learning experience more engaging. Read all ►
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Young children often have a limited attention span. Parents should not get anxious about this but rather should encourage their child's interest and attention without forcing the child to concentrate for too long. Enforced learning can be counterproductive if the child's attention span is limited. It is important to keep your son engaged and interested. Read all ►
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As children grow and develop they become more adept at interacting and communicating with other people. But when does this communication begin? And what can we do to help young children develop their language skills? Read all ►
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Social play is often accompanied by smiling and laughter. It is a magic moment when a baby first smiles, and parents experience overwhelming feelings of love and delight when they observe their babies smiling. Read all ►
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Song is a tradition which has been present in almost all human civilisations and used to share information and re-tell history since prehistoric times. Typically, nursery rhymes serve the same purpose. And like ancient song, many nursery rhymes have been passed on from parent to child from generation to generation. Read all ►
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When babies and young children are awake, it is rare to see them sitting completely still. Movement is important not just for physical development, but also in the development of social and cognitive skills. Read all ►
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The amount of time that a parent spends with their baby can be viewed as parental investment. A child is born into a social world to which they must adapt. It is vitally important to spend time playing with your baby and you will get a lot of enjoyment and satisfaction out of watching your baby develop socially. Young mothers have often asked me 'Can my baby get bored with just me?' The answer is emphatically no. Read all ►
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This is a question that is often asked by concerned parents. Learning how to behave in a socially acceptable way is first encouraged in the home. Read all ►
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VTech's award winning First Steps Baby Walker is designed to support and nurture your baby's first steps. It features a detachable learning centre packed with experts and introduces music, letters, words, numbers, animals, colours, sung songs and melodies. The textured wheels, easy grip handle and durable design ensure baby gets ample support for taking those first steps. Read all ►
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Pushing forward in design and innovation the toys are designed to bring out the best in babies, infants and toddlers by encouraging them to play, learn and discover. Read all ►
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Dora the Explorer VTech Learning toys so she can learn with her favourite character. The exciting and engaging content will keep her stimulated. Read all ►
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Vtech toys can aid your child's development by giving your child the scope to progress as far as they can with their learning. This means that there is always another level that your child can aspire to reach with the help of their parents or more able peers. Read all ►
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What is the link between play, technology and learning? Researchers have proposed that technology is an integral learning tool for promoting social, linguistic and cognitive development in young children. But how does this ‘tool’ become part of young people’s lives? For young children, learning through play, exploration and observation is important and technology is a cultural tool that children use and assimilate into their everyday experience. In our evolutionary past, traditions in tool use were passed on across generations through children observing and copying their parents. Nowadays formal education also has a part to play in what is transmitted from generation to generation. Read all ►
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Dr. Julie Coultas is an evolutionary social psychologist with a particular interest in education. She is a visiting research fellow in the Department. Dr Julie Coultas of Psychology at the University of Sussex as well as a research fellow at Stockholm University.