Jie-Qi Chen
Barbara T. Bowman Professor of Early Childhood Education;
Founding Executive Director of Early Teaching and Learning Academy;
Senior Academic Advisor, Founder of Early Math Collaborative
- PhD in applied child development, Tufts University
- MA in curriculum and instruction, University of Northern Iowa
- BA in child development and early education, Beijing Normal University
- Early mathematics education
- Classroom assessment
- Educational implications of multiple intelligences theory
- Teacher learning and development
- Teaching for understanding
- The first window – Focusing on kindergarten teachers’ ability to observe, document, and interpret children’s behavior and thinking
- Math All Around Me (MAAM)—Finding mathematics all around me with 0-3 Caregivers Collaborative math — Creating sustainable excellence in mathematics for Head Start programs
- Early STEM matters — Providing high-quality STEM experiences for all young learners
- Achieving high standards for PK-grade 3 mathematics — A whole teacher approach to professional development
Recent Publications
- Itzkowich, R., Chen, J. Q., Evans, A., & Pott, M. (in contract). The power of instructional routines to connect assessment and teaching in kindergarten classrooms. New York: Teachers College Press
- McNamee, D. G. & Chen, J. Q. (2024). Listening to learning: Assessing and teaching young children. Thousand Oaks, CA: Corwin Press.
- Hynes-Berry, M., Chen, J. Q., & Abel, B. (2021). Precursor math concepts: The wonder of mathematical worlds with infants and toddlers. New York: Teachers College Press.
- Chen, J. Q. (2015-2021). (Chief Editor for Six Volumes). Pedagogical content knowledge across preschool curricular areas: language and literacy, math, social studies, health and physical education, arts, and science (in Chinese). Nanjing, China: Nanjing Normal University Press.
- McCray, J., Chen, J. Q., & Sorkin, J. (2019). (Eds.). Growing mathematical minds: Conversations between developmental psychologists and classroom teachers. New York: Routledge.
- Chen, J. Q. & Erikson Institute’s Early Mathematics Collaborative (2014). Big ideas of early mathematics: What teachers of young children need to know. Upper Saddle River, NJ: Pearson. (Translated into Chinese)
- Chen, J. Q., Moran, S., & Gardner, H. (Eds.). (2009). Multiple intelligences theory around the world. San Francisco, CA: Jossey-Bass Publishers. (Translated into Chinese, Korean, and Portuguese)
Recent Presentations
- Chen, J. Q. & McNamee, G. (2024, October). Using instructional routines to assess and teach diverse young children. The Illinois Association for the Education of Young Children, Springfield, IL.
- Chen, J. Q., Itzkowich, R., Evans, A., & Guadarrama, I. (2024, September). Empowering teachers: An approach to promoting equity in kindergarten readiness assessment. NCTM Annual Conferences, Chicago. IL
- Itzkowich, R., Chen, J. Q., Guadarrama, I., & Evans, A. (2024, September). Instructional routines in mathematics: Building a bridge between classroom assessment and teaching. NCTM Annual Conferences, Chicago. IL
- Evans, A., Guadarrama, I., & Chen, J. Q. (2024, June). Notice and wonder: Enhancing teachers’ use of a state-mandated kindergarten assessment via online learning community. The National Research Conference on Early Childhood. Arlington, VA.
- McNamee, G. & Chen, J. Q. (2024, June). Listening to learning: Assessing and teaching diverse young children. NAEYC Professional Learning Institute, New Orleans, LA.
- Chen, J. Q. & Evans, A. (2024, June). Boosting oracy and numeracy skills with photo chats. NAEYC Professional Learning Institute, New Orleans, LA.
- Evans, A. Chen, J., Q. & Kirk, M. (2024, June). Prepare, practice, and ponder: Design professional development to help teachers leap hurdles. NAEYC Professional Learning Institute, New Orleans, LA.
- Evans, A. & Chen, J.Q. (2024, April). The complexity and joy of counting for kindergarten students and teachers: The case of math assessment. AERA I-Presentation.
- Chen, J. Q. & Itzkowich, R. (2024, February). Oracy and numeracy are friends: The power of photo chats to promote early mathematical learning. NCTM 2024 Regional Conference. Seattle, WA.
Related Current Services and Professional Experience
- Senior Scholar—Fulbright Senior Specialist Program (2024-2027)
- Honorary STEM Professor of Yew Chung College of Early Childhood Education, Hong Kong (2023-2026)
- Smarter Balanced K-2 Advisory Board, UC Santa Cruz (2024-2026)
- The Life Essentials Curriculum Advisory Council, Kiddie Academy, Baltimore, (2023-2026)
- The National Board for Professional Teaching Standards (the Finance, Auditing, and Nominating Committees, 2022-2025)
- The Kindergarten Individual Development Survey (KIDS) Advisory Committee, Illinois State Board of Education (2022-2025)
- Expert Work Group Committee for Problem Solver Early STEM Program, Zero to Three (2021—2024)
- Advisory Group for EDC’s NSF grant, Supporting Mathematics Teaching and Learning in Preschool: A Study of the Impact of Young Mathematicians on Children’s Mastery Motivation and Mathematics Learning (2020—2024)
Dr. Jie-Qi Chen's career has been defined by her dedication to early childhood education. Having formally served as Erikson’s Senior Vice President for Academy Affairs and Dean of Faculty, she now holds the Barbara T. Bowman Professorship in Early Education. Her journey began as a teacher in various classroom settings, from toddlers to middle school, and has since evolved into a three-decade-long commitment to teacher learning and development.
Dr. Chen founded the Early Math Collaborative at Erikson, a groundbreaking initiative that revitalized early mathematics education and empowered teachers to emphasize foundational math concepts. She has also led efforts to enhance the early childhood workforce by developing and implementing an effective, sustainable professional development system that incorporates the art and science of early teaching and learning.
Dr. Chen's scholarship is influential. She has published 12 books, translated into five languages: Chinese, Italian, Korean, Portuguese, and Spanish. Her extensive body of work includes numerous scholarly articles, book chapters, and encyclopedia entries, covering areas such as early math education, comparative education, classroom assessment, teacher learning and development, school reform, and multiple ways of learning, doing, and succeeding. Her scholarship encompasses theoretical propositions, empirical studies, model testing, and practical materials like assessment instruments and early math curricula.
Dr. Chen's influence extends far beyond her impressive publications. As a Fulbright Senior Specialist in Education and consultant to the United Nations Children's Fund, she has engaged in cross-cultural scholarly exchanges and worked with local educators across five continents. She served on numerous committees and boards, including the Governing Board of the NAEYC and the Early Math Task Force of the Center for Best Practices of the National Governors Association. Currently, she serves as a director at the National Board for Professional Teaching Standards and as an expert advisor for the UC Santa Cruz Smarter Balanced K-2 Advisory Board, and the ISBE’s KIDS Advisory Committee.
Dr. Chen also brings her expertise to the Erikson classroom. As a professor, she strives to foster her students' mastery of pedagogical content knowledge in context: the what—rigorous content knowledge, the who—current understanding of child development, and the how—effective instructional strategies. She emphasizes the importance of artfully integrating what, who, and how in response to the cultural context to achieve effective teaching.
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