As an applied child development specialist, Professor Chen’s work focuses on cognitive development, multiple intelligences theory, classroom assessment, early mathematics education, and school-based intervention. A teacher first, she has taught young children in early childhood classrooms in China as well as the United States, and is also experienced teaching elementary and college students. Dr. Chen has contributed to teacher professional development efforts in Boston and Chicago Public Schools for more than 20 years. She applies her extensive background in assessment and curriculum development to Head Start program enrichment and to teacher professional development in a variety of early childhood settings.
Professor Chen is a Fulbright Senior Specialist. She is coauthor of several books, including Bridging, Assessment for Teaching and Learning in Early Childhood Classrooms, Prek-3 (2007); Effective Partnering for School Change: Improving Early Childhood Education in Urban Classrooms (2004); and Building on Children’s Strengths (1998), editor of Early Learning Activities (1998). She contributed the multiple intelligences entries for The Encyclopedia of Education (2nd ed., 2002) and for The International Encyclopedia of Early Childhood Education (2007).
Areas of Expertise
Assessment of children's learning; cognitive development; early mathematics education; implications and applications of multiple intelligences theory; role of culture in child development; teacher education and professional development; computer technology in early childhood classrooms; and early education.