Research

Research Mission


The DLL Lab researches the language and literacy development of young children from diverse backgrounds, with an emphasis on bilingual or dual language learners (DLLs).  Numerous projects are occurring in the lab that:

  • investigate cultural and environmental influences on children’s development,
  • develop assessment instruments of DLLs’ language and literacy skills, and
  • develop and evaluate home- and classroom based interventions.

Current Grants and Projects


Funded by the Institute of Education Sciences, U.S. Department of Education

(Grant #R324X220032)

Role: Co-Principal Investigator (PI = Sawyer, Lehigh University)

Dates: 2022-2025

The goal of this project is to accelerate pandemic recovery in preschoolers with developmental language disorder (DLD). During the COVID-19 pandemic, significant disruptions in preschool intervention and speech-language therapy services occurred across the nation.These disruptions greatly impacted the language development of preschoolers with DLD, which will likely impact their future academic achievement. To address this situation, this project will adapt and testwhether ParentsPlus (P+), an online parent-implemented intervention, accelerate the language development of preschoolers with developmental language disorder(DLD). Initial adaptation of P+ will include developing new training module with associated coaching protocols and developing additional exemplar videos for the P+ app’s training modules. The research team will then conduct a 2-year, two-cohort randomized controlled trial to examine whether P+ accelerates language development more than business-as-usual preschool intervention/services for preschoolers with DLD.The new P+ aims to accelerate the development of children's vocabulary and morphosyntactic (grammar) skills by adding P+ to existing services, thereby increasing the overall dosage of interventions they receive.

Funded by the Health Resources Service Administration

(Grant #UA6MC 27762)

Role: Leadership Team Member (2016-2021);

Work Group Member (2014-2016) (PI: Carta, University of Kansas)

Dates:  2014-2024

https://www.bwgresnet.res.ku.edu/ 

The primary goal of the Bridging the Word Network is to reduce the number of children who enter school with delays in language and literacy.

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