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Child Development in Context Lab

Welcome to the Child Development in Context Lab at Arizona State University! We study how early learning occurs in culturally, linguistically, and socioeconomically diverse contexts, with a focus on language and school readiness development.

Mother and Baby on Floor

Our research involves parents, teachers, and children between the age of 0-6 years. Browse our current research studies and sign up to participate in a study today!

Colorful Indoor Playground

Research

Current research at the ASU Child Development in Context Lab focuses on how early learning occurs in diverse contexts. We seek to answer three overarching questions:

1) How do individual and contextual factors, such as culture, socioeconomic status, bilingualism, immigration history, shape parenting beliefs and practices and children’s early learning experiences?

2) How do children’s learning experiences in the home and classroom settings contribute to their language and school readiness development?

3) How can caregiver-focused, early interventions promote language and school readiness outcomes in children and families from disadvantaged, underserved populations?

On-Going Projects

Early intervention: The Duet project

In collaboration with our colleagues at Temple University (Drs. Rebecca Alper and Kathy Hirsh-Pasek), we developed an early language intervention, called The Duet Project, to improve the quality of parent-child interaction in high-risk families. The Duet project bridges rigorous science with culturally sensitive, community-based practice through Community-Based, Participatory Research (CBPR). Supported by the William Penn Foundation, we are in the process of developing Duet 2.0 to support families from English- and Spanish-speaking backgrounds through a light touch, public health model.

Parents’ knowledge about dual language development

In collaboration with Dr. Lulu Song at Brooklyn College, we developed the Knowledge of Dual Language Learning and Education (KnDLE) survey to understand what parents of dual language learning children know about dual language development and the promising practices to support their children

Migrant and Seasonal Head Start children

Young children of migrant and seasonal workers face challenges such as high mobility, tough living conditions, and limited access to educational and health resources. In this study, we conducted secondary data analysis using the Migrant and Seasonal Head Start Study (MSHS, 2017) to examine the joint and interactive effects of home and classroom language and literacy activities on MSHS children’s language outcomes.

Publications

  • O’Fallon, M. K.*, Alper, R.M., Beiting, M., & Luo, R. (2022). Assessing shared reading in families at risk: Does quantity predict quality? American Journal of Speech-Language Pathology.

  • Beiting, M.*, Alper, R.M., Luo, R., & Hirsh-Pasek, K. (2022). Keep the ball rolling: Sustained conversational episodes are associated with child language ability. American Journal of Speech-Language Pathology. 

  • Luo, R., Song, L., Chiu, I. (2022, published online). A closer look at the birth order effect on early cognitive and school readiness development in diverse contexts. Frontiers in Psychology.

  • Ma, W., Luo, R. (co-first author), Golinkoff, R. M., & Hirsh-Pasek, K. (2022, published online). The influence of exemplar variability on young children’s construal of verb meaning. Language Learning and Development.

  • Song L., Luo, R., & Liang, E. (2022). Dual language development of Chinese 3-and 4-year-olds: Associations with the family context and teachers’ language use. Early Education and Development, 33(2), 219-242. doi: 10.1080/10409289.2020.1865746

  • Luo, R., Masek, L. R.*, Alper, R. M., & Hirsh-Pasek, K. (2022). Maternal question use and child language outcomes: The moderating role of children’s vocabulary skills and socioeconomic status. Early Childhood Research Quarterly, 59(2), 109-120. doi:org/10.1016/j.ecresq.2021.11.007

  • Luo, R., Song, L., Villacis, C.*, & Santiago-Bonilla, G. (2021). Parental beliefs and knowledge, parenting practices, and child school readiness: The dual language perspective. Frontiers in Psychology. doi:org/10.3389/fpsyg.2021.661208

  • Rumper, B., Alper, R., Jaen, J., Masek, L.*, Luo, R., Blinkoff, E.*, Mogul, M., Golinkoff, R., Hirsh-Pasek, K. (2021). Beyond translation: Caregiver collaboration in adapting an early language intervention. Frontiers in Education. doi:org/10.3389/feduc.2021.660166

  • Alper, R., Beiting, M.*, Luo, R., Jaen, J., Peel, M.*, Levi, O.*, Robinson, C.*, & Hirsh-Pasek, K. (2021). Change the things you can: Modifiable parent characteristics predict high-quality early language interaction within socioeconomic status. Journal of Speech, Language, and Hearing Research. 64(4): 1992-2004.

  • Pace A., Luo, R. (co-first author), Golinkoff, R. M., de Villiers J., Hirsh-Pasek K., Iglesias A., & Wilson, M. S. (2021). Within and across language predictors of word learning processes in dual language learners. Child Development. 92(1): 35-53.

  • Luo, R., Pace A., Levine, D.*, Golinkoff, R. M., de Villiers J., Hirsh-Pasek K., Iglesias A., & Wilson, M. S. (2021). Home literacy environment and existing knowledge mediate the link between socioeconomic status and language learning skills in dual language learners. Early Childhood Research Quarterly, 55(2): 1-14.

  • Luo, R., Escobar, K., & Tamis-LeMonda, C. S. (2020). Heterogeneity in the trajectories of US Latine mothers’ dual-language input from infancy to preschool. First Language, 40(3): 275-299

  • Luo, R., Tamis-LeMonda, C. S, & Mendelsohn A. (2020). Children’s literacy experiences in low-income families: The content of books matters. Reading Research Quarterly, 55(2): 213-234. 

  • Atkins, R., Luo, R., Wunnenberg, M, Ayres, C., Lipman, T., Pena-Cardinali, V., Hayes, L., Deatrick, J. (2020). Contributors to depressed mood in Black single mothers. Issues in Mental Health Nursing, 41(1): 38-48.

  • Levine, D.*, Pace, A., Luo, R., Hirsh-Pasek, K., Golinkoff, R. M., de Villiers, J., Iglesias, A., & Wilson, M. S. (2020). Evaluating socioeconomic gaps in preschoolers’ vocabulary, syntax, and language process skills with the Quick Interactive Language Screener (QUILS). Early Childhood Research Quarterly, 50: 114-128.

  • Luo, R., Alper, R.(co-first author), Hirsh-Pasek, K., Mogul, M., Chen, Y.*, Masek, L.*, Paterson S., Pace, A., Adamson, L., Bakeman, R., Golinkoff, R., & Owen, M. (2019). Community-based, caregiver-implemented early language intervention in high-risk families: Lessons learned. Progress in Community Health Partnerships: Research, Education, and Action, 13(3), 283-291.

  • Luo, R. & Tamis-LeMonda, C. S. (2019). Preschool book-sharing and oral storytelling experiences in ethnically diverse, low-income families. Early Child Development and Care. 189(10), 1602-1619.

  • Tamis-LeMonda, C. S., Luo, R., Bandel, E., Vallontton, C., & McFadden, K. (2019). Early home learning environment predicts children’s 5th grade academic skills. Applied Developmental Science. 23(2), 153-169.

  • Tamis-LeMonda, C. S., Kuchirko, Y.*, Luo, R., Escobar K.*, & Bornstein M. (2017). Power in methods: Language to infants in structured and naturalistic contexts. Developmental Science, 20(6): e12456.

  • Luo, R. & Tamis-LeMonda, C. S. (2017). Reciprocity between maternal questions and child contributions during book-sharing. Early Childhood Research Quarterly, 38(1), 71-83.

  • Pace, A, Luo, R., Hirsh-Pasek, K., & Golinkoff, R. (2017). Identifying pathways between socioeconomic status and language development. Annual Review of Linguistics, 3(1), 285-308.

  • Luo, R., Pace, A., Masek, L.*, Hirsh-Pasek, K., & Golinkoff, M. R. (2016). The Family’s Role in the Relation between Socioeconomic Status and Early Language Development. Journal of Family Medicine, 3(6), 1073-1077.

  • Kuchirko, Y., Tamis-LeMonda, C. S., Luo, R., & Liang, E. (2016). “What happened next?”: Developmental changes in mothers’ questions to children. The Journal of Early Childhood Literacy, 16(4), 498-521.

  • Luo, R. & Tamis-LeMonda, C. S. (2016). Mothers’ verbal and nonverbal strategies in relation to infant object-directed actions in real time and across the first three years in ethnically diverse families. Infancy, 21(1), 65-89.

  • Liu, Y., Wang, Y., Luo, R., Su, Y. (2016). From the external to the internal: Behavior talk facilitates Theory of Mind (ToM) development in Chinese children. International Journal of Behavioral Development, 40(1), 21-30.

  • Luo, R., Tamis-LeMonda, C. S., Kuchirko, Y., Ng, F. F., & Liang, E. (2014). Mother-child book-sharing and children’s storytelling skills in ethnically diverse, low-income families. Infant and Child Development, 23(4), 402-425.

  • Tamis-LeMonda, C. S., Song, L., Luo, R., Kuchirko, Y., Kahana-Kalman, R., Yoshikawa, H., & Raufman, J. (2014). Children’s language growth in Spanish and English across early development: Associations to school readiness. Developmental Neuropsychology, 39(2), 69-87.

  • Luo, R., Tamis-LeMonda, C. S., & Song, L. (2013). Chinese parents’ goals and practices in early childhood. Early Childhood Research Quarterly, 28, 843-857.

  • Luo, R., Xiao, W., & Su, Y. (2008). The development of self-concept in gifted children aged 11 to 13. Chinese Journal of Special Education, 96(6), 18-23.

Our Team

Join the Lab

Undergraduate students can join the Child Development in Context Lab as research assistants by enrolling in the Supervised Research Course (PSY 399 & 499), by applying to the New College Undergraduate Inquiry & Research Experience (NCUIRE) Program, or by volunteering. 

If you are interested in joining the lab, please send your CV/resume and a brief description of your background and research interests to Dr. Rufan Luo (rufan.luo@asu.edu).

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Dr. Rufan Luo is accepting new Master students in Fall 2023. Information on the Master program can be found here.

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