Her research investigates teacher-child interactions in preschool classrooms that promote vocabulary growth, with an emphasis on the developmental trajectories of children with varying levels of language abilities from low-income homes. Her work focuses on developing supports for teachers and professionals working with children in preschool and early childhood classrooms, with an emphasis on teaching vocabulary through the content areas. She received her doctorate in Development, Learning, and Diversity from Vanderbilt University's Peabody College, and holds a master's degree in Literacy and Learning Disabilities from the University of Michigan. She received the Outstanding Dissertation Award from the Early Childhood SIG of the American Educational Research Association in 2015.