About the Lab

Cartoon image of a child pointing to 6 + 3 + 4 = 17 + 4. Their left hand is pointing to the left 4, and their right hand is pointing to the right 4. The overarching goal of research in the CDC lab is to contribute to a deeper understanding of the mechanisms of knowledge change in children’s cognitive development, with a specific focus on mathematical reasoning and problem solving.

Our research investigates how children’s knowledge changes when they learn new concepts and problem-solving strategies and when they express and communicate their knowledge in gestures and in speech.

 

Cartoon image of a child gesturing to the length of an object.

Current projects examine interrelations between conceptual and procedural knowledge, the transition from arithmetic to algebraic reasoning, the function of spontaneous gestures in thinking for speaking, and the use of diagrams to support conceptual understanding in biology and mathematics.

Click here to read our Lab Statement of Values.

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