Understanding how learning impacts development.

We are interested in studying how children communicate with the world around them. We focus on how children understand the sounds that make up music and language, and how their listening skills and experience affect other abilities, such as problem solving or communicating with others.

To study how children’s listening skills develop, we work with normal hearing children as well as with children with hearing loss. We are also interested in how different learning experiences—such as music and dance training, as well as cultural experience—affect children’s development . By understanding how children develop skills through music and language, we can better help them reach their goals through more fulfilling learning experiences and greater involvement in social and cultural activities.