UC Irvine School of Education Hosts National Experts in Early Childhood and Language Development

​February 11, 2025

​On February 5–6, Professor and Interim Dean Julie Washington hosted a group of researchers from universities across the country who have been collaborating for more than a decade to deepen understanding of the language development of children who speak African American English and children who speak Spanish. Collaborators include Drs. Margaret Caughy and Katherine Suma of the University of Georgia, Dr. Roger Bakeman (Georgia State University), Dr. Catherine Tamis-LeMonda (New York University), Dr Raul Rojas (University of Kansas) and Dr. Margaret Tresch Owen (University of Texas at Dallas).
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Funded by the Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development (NICHD), the team is analyzing language samples collected throughout early childhood, along with data on the quality of mother–child and father–child relationships. Their research examines how these relationships support language development and contribute to positive behavioral and academic outcomes from early childhood through early adolescence.

Julie Washington (right) with other researchers.