I am a full professor at Tel Aviv University and the head of the Early Childhood Research Lab. My research focuses on adult-child interactions and their implications for early development. In particular, in Hebrew and Arabic, I evaluate adult-child literacy interactions (joint writing and shared book reading) and study their implications on early literacy and socio-emotional development. Addressing the needs of special populations, my work examines literacy interactions in parent-child dyads of children with special needs. I conduct literacy interventions aimed at improving preschool teachers’ and parents’ scaffolding and children's early literacy and socio-emotional development. I am also interested in parenting. Together with colleagues, we developed a model for beneficial parenting, "The Parenting Pentagon Model." I study parenting from a cross-cultural viewpoint. I explore how beneficial parenting, according to the PPM, contributes to parents’ and young children’s well-being. I am a board member of the Israeli OMEP, World Organization for Early Childhood Education. As an international leading literacy researcher, I was chosen in 2018 to be inducted into the Reading Hall of Fame.
