Current Research

Two studies running right now.

Live research lines — where the published comprehension and engagement work is being tested with real children, families, and classrooms.

Active · Community collaboration

Exceptional You

“How can community spaces like galleries and museums support language development and belonging for young children?”

The work: A community-based research collaboration exploring language development in informal learning environments — beginning with the Exceptionally You art exhibit and gallery experience.
What we're learning: How belonging and rich talk show up when learning moves outside the traditional classroom.

View the Exhibit Event

$Math Spark — CURE Research Team — active research$

Active · CURE research study

Math Spark — CURE Research Team

“When we haven't taught you where to look yet — what mathematics do you see?”

The work: A course-based undergraduate research experience (CURE) studying preservice teacher professional noticing and motivation to integrate math during shared storybook reading.
What we're learning: What preservice teachers spontaneously notice mathematically in ordinary children's storybooks — and what moves that noticing into instruction.

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Through-lines

Motivation first

Engagement is not a warm-up. It is the mechanism comprehension gains run through.

One book, many skills

Literacy, language, and math live in the same story when the questions are designed for it.

Built, then studied

Every finding becomes a tool a teacher or parent can run tonight — then the tool gets tested again.

Where this comes from

Both studies sit on twenty years of peer-reviewed work on reading comprehension, motivation, and engagement — including the Concept-Oriented Reading Instruction research line.

See the Published Research

Collaborate on a study.

Schools, programs, and community partners are welcome in both research lines.

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