Neural and Genetic Basis of Language and Reading Development

The aim of this research program is to track how aspects of language and cognition (including working memory, attention, and executive functions) are represented and processed in the developing brain, and determine how environmental factors such as language background (i.e. bilingualism, biliteracy) shape the neurodevelopmental trajectories of these key linguistic and cognitive skills, and literacy outcomes.

Current studies in this research program include:

• Cross-linguistic influences on morphological and orthographic processing underlying the development of reading in the bilingual brain
• fNIRS and fMRI tracking of neurodevelopmental changes supporting emergent literacy

Allô Alphabet: Technology-based Literacy Intervention in Low-Resource, Low-Literacy Settings

Learning to read depends not only on having access to education, but on having access to quality education.  In this research program, we develop a  technology-based literacy intervention program for remote, rural communities of Côte d’Ivoire with the goal of providing  quality, evidence-based educational programming via mobile phone to complement the school curriculum. No existing literacy intervention programs in Cote d'Ivoire currently offer scalable solutions to quickly address the problems of widespread student literacy failures. Our interdisciplinary approach combines expertise in literacy development, tech-based education solutions, and human-computer interaction in order to examine how technology-based literacy intervention, and its effective implementation and scalability, can improve literacy outcomes in communities with high illiteracy rates. We combine multiple research tools from the learning sciences (language, cognitive, and literacy assessment, longitudinal neuroimaging of the brain's reading networks, and evaluation of technology use and integration into the community) to find an optimal and scalable strategy for literacy intervention that can be adopted in Côte d'Ivoire and throughout sub-Saharan Africa.

Research Partners: ENEZA Education, Amy Ogan, Hermann Akpe, Fabrice Tanoh

Funding: Jacobs Foundation Research Grant (Co-PI: K. Jasinska)

Tracking the Neuroplasticity of the Speech Cortex and Language Outcomes in Children with Cochlear Implants

Hearing loss is one of the most common birth defects in the United States affecting approximately 3 in 1,000 newborns. Depending on the degree of hearing loss, deaf and hard-of-hearing (DHH) infants receive interventions that may include cochlear implants (CI). Nevertheless, there is a huge amount of variability in these children’s linguistic and academic outcomes. The amount/type of therapy that children receive, as well as the language input they are exposed to are thought to contribute (to some degree) to this variability. Additionally, the age of implantation is considered one of the strongest predictors of language outcomes for DHH children, since lack of exposure to sound early in life affects the development of the brain’s auditory processing areas. But not all children implanted at the same age achieve the same language skills. Could there be factors at the neural level that make it easier (or harder) to process speech and acquire language once the brain gains access to sound through the CI? The mechanism by which the brain adapts to a new sensory modality following implantation and begins to perceive the relevant speech stream in a range of listening environments (including noisy contexts that may negatively impact speech processing), and the implication for developing language skills remain poorly understood. We combine two cutting edge technologies (fNIRS and eye-tracking) to examine dynamic changes in neuroplasticity and organization of neural pathways for speech perception and language skills right after implantation. Our research may help predict language outcomes and explain the high degree of individual variability observed in children with CIs. Children requiring additional support could be identified earlier, preventing language delays and later academic problems.

Research Partners: Giovanna Morini, Communication Sciences and Disorders, University of Delaware; Thierry Morlet, Nemours Children's Health System

Soutenir Les Enfants à la Maison et à l'École (SEME) / Supporting Children at Home and School

Côte d’Ivoire ranks 170 of 189 countries in the Human Development Index and is also the largest producer of cocoa in the world. In rural cocoa-producing communities, poverty is rampant and has reached levels as high as 61.2%, with many households surviving on $1-2 a day. Cocoa accounts for 74% of total income for the average cocoa-growing household in Côte d’Ivoire, creating a great reliance on the crop. The pressure to produce cocoa often means it is a family affair—it is estimated that 1.3 million school-aged children (out of a population of 3.7 million) are working in cocoa production (Tulane University, 2015), largely concentrated in rural areas. At the same time, the government is committed to expanding educational access through universal basic education for all children. Yet educational quality and learning outcomes are very low, especially in cocoa growing regions. The lack of quality and relevant education can also push children out of school and into family farming.  SEME is a two-pronged approach to address both poverty and educational outcomes, testing individually and in combination two interventions: cash transfers (CT) and educational-quality improvement. This model has the potential to deliver substantially greater results per dollar than current standard practice, which tackles each source independently. SEME examines how improving educational quality and reducing poverty can reduce child labor and improve children's learning outcomes.

Research Team: Amy Ogan, Sharon Wolf, Samuel Kembou, Fabrice Tanoh

Implementation Partners: 100WEEKS, Teaching at the Right Level

Funding: Child Learning and Education Facility (CLEF) (Co-PI: K. Jasinska)