Investment in early childhood is a moral imperative that also saves society from 7 to 14 dollars for every dollar spent (Heckman).  This realization along with newfound governmental interest in preschool education and in quality head start programs has put early childhood on center stage.  Research has followed pace and we have been privileged to be a part of that new wave.  As a co-investigator on the NICHD Study of Early Child Care and Youth Development from 1991-2004, our lab at Temple University was part of one of the most expansive studies of early child care and child development in context.  This study, enrolling 1364 children across America is considered by many to be a gold standard within psychological research. 

Our work in early child care produced research on early literacy and sparked other work in our lab on literacy, assessment, and on the kinds of learning that can take place in informal settings like museums.  Research in these areas demonstrates the exciting interplay between science and practice.

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