Kathleen Peets
My training has been largely multidisciplinary, with a background in linguistics (BA, York University) developmental psychology and education within a cross-cultural model (EdM, EdD, Harvard University). As a result, my work is focused on the development of language and its relationship to early literacy, and my work is rooted in both sociocultural and social interactionist theoretical frameworks. My work is in collaboration with many people in the Toronto Metropolitan University community and beyond, and is fueled very much by the contributions of many undergraduate and graduate student research assistants. For the last several years I have been collaborating with a community partner based in Canada and Nigeria, Early Childhood Development Initiative, led by Patrica Falope (leading policy innovation in Nigeria and a graduate of our Master’s program).
Currently Ms. Falope and I are engaged in data analysis for our SSHRC-funded project looking at the implementation of play-based learning in collaboration with local educators in Nigeria. Our work integrates children’s, teachers’ and parents’ perspectives as we look at aspects of language, literacy and cognitive development through play-based curricula. Next steps in this program of research are to bring insights gained from Nigerian perspectives and findings to the West African diaspora here in Toronto, and gain their perspectives on current practices in early learning for their children.
- CLD206: Language Development
- CLD307: Cognitive Development
- CLD314: Literacy in the Early Years
- CS8938: Cross-cultural Development
Research interests:
- Language development.
- Literacy in the early years.
- Cross-cultural early learning, language and literacy, bilingualism.
Research projects
- Project: Cross-Cultural Play-Based Learning
- Funded by: SSHRC
- Years: 2018-2023
- Project: The role of discourse in listening and reading comprehension among children with language impairment
- Funded by: SSHRC
- Years: 2013-2016
- Project: Play-based learning, language and literacy in Nigerian early learning (pilot)
- Year: Spring, 2016
- Project: Children’s book reviews (emerging area of research)
- Project: Community-based research supporting children’s language and literacy (in development)
Chapters:
- Peets, K. F. (2013). Cognitive processes underlying typical and atypical second-language and literacy development. In C. A. Stone, E. R. Silliman, B. J. Ehren & G. P. Wallach (Eds.), Handbook of language and literacy: Development and disorders (pp. 66-83). Guilford Press.
- Peets, K. F. (2010). Bilingualism and cognitive linkages: Learning to read in different languages. In M. Shatz & L. C. Wilkinson (Eds.), The education of English language learners: Research to practice (pp. 133-152). Guilford Press.
Journal articles:
- Peets, K.F., Suh, W., & Falope, P. (in preparation). Language and Literacy in Nigerian Early Learning: The Impact of Play.
- Good, A., Peets, K.F., Choma, B.L., & Russo, F.A. (2022). Singing foreign songs promotes shared common humanity in elementary school children. Journal of Applied Social Psychology, 52(10), pp. 941-944. https://doi.org/10.1111/jasp.12917 (external link, opens in new window)
- Peets, K. F., Yim, O., & Bialystok, E. (2019). Language proficiency, reading comprehension and home literacy in bilingual children: The impact of context. International Journal of Bilingual Education and Bilingualism, 1-15. https://doi.org/10.1080/13670050.2019.1677551
- Peets, K. F., & Bialystok, E. (2015). Academic discourse: Dissociating standardized and conversational measures of language proficiency in bilingual kindergarteners. Applied Psycholinguistics, 36(2), 437-461. https://doi.org/10.1017/S0142716413000301 (external link, opens in new window)
- Bialystok, E., Peets, K. F., & Moreno, S. (2014). Producing bilinguals through immersion education: Development of metalinguistic awareness. Applied Psycholinguistics, 35(1), 177-191. https://doi.org/10.1017/S0142716412000288 (external link, opens in new window)
- Peets, K. F., & Tannock, R. (2011). Errors and self-correction in narrative distinguish ADHD from ADHD with language impairments. Revista de Logopedia, Foniatría y Audiología, 31(4), 228-236. https://doi.org/10.1016/S0214-4603(11)70191-7 (external link, opens in new window)
- Bialystok, E., Luk, G., Peets, K. F., & Yang, S. (2009). Receptive vocabulary differences in monolingual and bilingual children. Bilingualism: Language and Cognition, 13(4), 525-531. https://doi.org/10.1017/s1366728909990423
- Peets, K. F., & Bialystok, E. (2010). An integrated approach to the study of specific language impairment and bilingualism. [Peer commentary on “The interface between bilingual development and specific language impairment,” by J. Paradis]. Applied Psycholinguistics, 31(2), 315-319. https://doi.org/10.1017/s0142716409990488
- Peets, K. F. (2009). The effects of context on the classroom discourse skills of children with language impairment. Language, Speech, and Hearing Services in Schools, 40(1), 5-16. https://doi.org/10.1044/0161-1461(2008/07-0012)
- Peets, K. F. (2009). Profiles of dysfluency and errors in classroom discourse among children with language impairment. Journal of Communication Disorders, 42(2), 136-154. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jcomdis.2008.10.005
- Humphries, T., Cardy, J. O., Worling, D. E., & Peets, K. (2004). Narrative comprehension and retelling abilities of children with nonverbal learning disabilities. Brain and Cognition, 56(1), 77-88. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.bandc.2004.06.001 (external link, opens in new window)