Dr. JeanMarie Farrow | Research Excellence | Best Researcher Award

Dr. JeanMarie Farrow | Georgia State University | United States

Dr. JeanMarie Farrow’s research centers on understanding and improving the factors within early childhood education that influence children’s language and literacy development, particularly in high-need settings. Her work systematically examines how teacher–child interactions and classroom practices contribute to oral language growth and early writing skills. Through both small- and large-scale empirical studies, she investigates effective models of professional development that enhance teachers’ capacity to implement evidence-based, language-rich instruction. Her research integrates theoretical and applied perspectives to identify feasible, sustainable approaches for strengthening early literacy and composing skills. A major strand of her scholarship explores the mechanisms underlying children’s oral language development, highlighting how teachers’ feedback, syntax, and conversational features shape vocabulary acquisition. Another line of inquiry focuses on early writing instruction as a pathway for language development, illustrating how structured composing activities and high-quality teaching strategies can foster creative and linguistic growth. In addition, she has contributed to advancing teacher professional learning by examining innovative approaches, including the role of project-based learning, coaching, and professional inquiry in supporting instructional improvement. Her studies, published in leading journals such as Journal of Child Language, Reading & Writing Quarterly, Early Childhood Education Journal, and Teaching and Teacher Education, contribute to the evidence base for designing effective professional development that bridges research and classroom practice. By connecting instructional theory, empirical findings, and practical application, her work provides actionable insights for educators, researchers, and policymakers seeking to promote equitable literacy outcomes. Supported by national research grants, her scholarship advances the understanding of how early education environments can be optimized to nurture children’s oral and written language development while equipping teachers with sustainable, research-informed pedagogical tools.

Profiles: Google Scholar | LinkedIn | Research Gate

Featured Publications 

Farrow, J. M., Wasik, B. A., & Hindman, A. H. (2020). Exploring the unique contributions of teachers’ syntax to preschoolers’ and kindergarteners’ vocabulary learning. Early Childhood Research Quarterly, 51, 178–190.

Farrow, M. J., & Farrow, J. M. (2019). Recognizing intergenerational assets within religious communities of colour. Journal of Childhood Studies, 71–84.

Hindman, A. H., Farrow, J. M., & Wasik, B. A. (2021). Understanding child-directed speech around book reading in toddler classrooms: Evidence from early head start programs. Frontiers in Psychology, 12, 719783.

Hindman, A. H., Farrow, J. M., & Wasik, B. A. (2022). Teacher–child conversations in preschool: Insights into how teacher feedback supports language development. Topics in Language Disorders, 42(4), 336–359.

Wasik, B. A., Farrow, J. M., & Hindman, A. H. (2022). More than “Good job!”: The critical role of teacher feedback in classroom discourse and language development. The Reading Teacher, 75(6), 733–738.

Farrow, J. M., Schneider Kavanagh, S., & Samudra, P. (2022). Exploring relationships between professional development and teachers’ enactments of project-based learning. Education Sciences, 12(4), 282.