Workshop on Human Potential (Susan Levine, U of C, Psychology)

PLEASE NOTE THAT THIS WORKSHOP SESSION WILL TAKE PLACE IN ROOM 140C OF THE HARRIS SCHOOL.

Susan Levine, Stella M. Rowley Professor and Chair, Department of Psychology, University of Chicago, will present, "Individual Differences in Mathematical Development During the Preschool Years: Effects of Input Variations."

This event is co-sponsored with the University of Chicago Workshop on Education.  Lunch WILL BE provided.

Abstract: Preschool children vary in their knowledge of foundational mathematical concepts prior to kindergarten entry.  We report several studies showing that these variations in knowledge are related to variations in the input children receive in the home and school environments, in particular, talk about number and spatial relations.  We also report on several ongoing and planned intervention studies aimed at increasing our understanding of the kinds of early input that can enhance children’s early mathematical development.

Related Papers for Download:

Children's Spatial Thinking: Does Talk about the Spatial World Matter?

Some Types of Parent Number Talk Count More than Others: Relations Between Parents' Input and Children's Cardinal-Number Knowledge

Bio: Susan Levine received her B.A. with honors from Simmons College in 1972, majoring in Psychology, Mathematics and Education and her Ph.D. in Psychology from M.I.T. in 1976. She joined the faculty at the University of Chicago that year. Professor Levine is co-director of the Center for Early Childhood Research and serves as the chair of the Psychology Department. In addition, she serves on the board of Chapin Hall.The Workshop/Working Group on Human Potential is one of the core intellectual activities of the Center for Human Potential and Public Policy. It is an interdisciplinary forum for graduate students, post docs, and faculty whose work concerns behavior, health, and well-being across the lifespan and the ways in which technology and public policy shape human potential and achievement. The Workshop/Working group has active members in the areas of the social, behavioral, health, and policy sciences.

The Workshop/Working Group on Human Potential alternates between two types of sessions. Not only do we regularly invite outside speakers for a traditional "workshop" presentation, but we also provide a forum for faculty, post-doctoral fellows, and graduate students to present research-in-progress in order to receive critical and constructive feedback.