Dr. L. Brook Sawyer

My research aims are interdisciplinary and center on promoting the development of young children who have disabilities or who are multilingual learners (MLs). My predominant focus is on language and literacy development. Children with language disabilities and MLs are critical populations because they are at greater risk for developing reading difficulties in school. According to an ecological perspective (Bronfenbrenner, 1979), parents, teachers and other educational professionals are proximal influences on children and have powerful positive effects on their learning and development. Thus, my scholarship centers on supporting the development of these vulnerable populations by furthering the field's knowledge of the current practices of parents, teachers, and other educational professionals and developing interventions to enhance the practices of these agents of change.