Research Focus

My recent research is from the Miami School Readiness Project, where I have been following about 40,000 low-income preschoolers, (60% Latinx, 34% Black, 6% White/Other), through high school. Long-term effects of pre-K programs, outcomes for children with disabilities, retention, suspension, arts exposure, and advanced course taking, (honors, IP gifted), in middle and high school are among topics explored.

Other research from my lab examines children’s use of private speech, (self-talk), for behavioral and cognitive self-regulatory purposes in typically developing children and children with behavior problems, ADHD, and/or autism. Bilingual language development, bilingual education models, educational performance of children from immigrant families, executive functioning, and adolescent sleep are also topics of interest.

Current Projects

■ Longitudinal academic outcomes for low-income, ethnically and linguistically diverse immigrant, children of color in Miami, Fl: as described above, the Miami School Readiness Project follows 40,000 preschool children through high school.

■ Dual-language learners in two-way immersion bilingual education programs: language and academic outcomes moderated by teacher-child relationships, child engagement, and use of Spanish in the classroom by the teacher.

■ Private speech and self-regulation among 5-year-old children engaged in material and digital problem-solving tasks: what a silencing effect digital media has.

Select Publications

■ A. Winsler et al., Sleepless in Fairfax: the difference one more hour of sleep can make for teen hopelessness, suicidal ideation, and substance use. Journal of Youth and Adolescence 44(2), 362-378 (2015).

■ A. Winsler et al., Selection into, and academic benefits from, arts-related courses in middle school among low-income, ethnically diverse youth. Psychology of Aesthetics, Creativity, and the Arts. Advance online publication.

■ A. Winsler et al., Socio-emotional skills, behavior problems, and Spanish competence predict the acquisition of English among English language learners in poverty. Developmental Psychology, 50, 2242-2254 (2014).