Xiao Lei Wang

Dr. Xiao-lei Wang grew up in the People’s Republic of China. She came to this country in 1985 supported by a United Nation’s scholarship. She received her Ph.D. from the University of Chicago in 1992. Dr. Wang has a broad range of research interests (see below). She has conducted research in several cultural communities. She is currently the chairperson of the Pleasantville campus.

Title: Professor of  Education
E-Mail: xwang@pace.edu
Phone: (914) 773-3876

Degrees:

• B.A.    Nanjing Normal University
• M.S.Ed. Erikson Institute/Loyola University of Chicago
• Ph.D. University of Chicago

Representative Publications:

Wang, X. L. & Eberhard, P. (2006). Helping second language learners construct meaning through hand gestures" International Journal of Learning.

Wang, X. L., Berbnas, R. & Eberhard, P. (2005). Maternal teaching strategies in four cultural communities: Implications for early childhood teachers. Journal of Early Childhood Research, 3(3), 269-288.

Wang, X. L. (2005). Exploring the meaning of Chinese New Year: Some ideas for teachers. New Berns, NC: Traffort Publishing Co.

Wang, X. L., Bernas, R. & Eberhard, P. (2004). Engaging ADHD children with teachers’ hand gestures: A pedagogical possibility for teachers. Educational Studies, 30 (3), 217-229.
 
Wang, X. L., Bernas, R., & Eberhard, P. (2002). Variations in maternal support to children’s early literacy development in Chinese and Native American families: Implications for early childhood educators. International Journal of Early Childhood, 34 (1), 9-23.
 
Wang, X. L., Bernas, R. & Eberhard, P. (2001).  Effects of teachers’ verbal and nonverbal scaffolding on everyday classroom performances of children with Down Syndrome.  International Journal of Early Years Education, Vol. 9 (1), 71-80. 
 
Haight, W. L., Wang, X. L., Fung, H., Williams, K., and Mintz, J. (1999).  Universal, developmental, and variable aspects of young children’s play: A cross-cultural comparison of pretending at home. Child Development, Vol. 70 (6), 1477-1488.
 
Wang, X. L., Bernas, R. & Eberhard, P. (2001).  Children’s early literacy environment in Chinese and American Indian Families. Resources in Education.
 
Wang, X. L., Mylander, C., & Goldin-Meadow, S. (1996). A cross cultural study of mother child interaction: Maximizing educational potential in the context of a handicapped child. " In Research on Family Resources and Needs across the World. Milano, Italy: Lettere Economila Diritto
 
Wang, X. L., Mylander, C, & Goldin-Meadow, S. (1995).  The resilience of language: Mother child interaction and its effect on the gesture systems of Chinese and American deaf children." Language, Gesture, and Space. Hillsdale, New Jersey: Lawrence Erlbaum Associates, Inc., Publishers.
 
Wang, X. L., Mylander, C. & Goldin-Meadow, S. (1993).  Language and environment: A cross cultural study of the gestural communication systems of Chinese and American deaf children." Belgian Journal of Linguistics, 8, 167-185.

Recent Conference Presentations:
 
Wang, X. L. (2005). The benefits of hand gestures in the interactive book reading: An alternative pedagogical consideration in early childhood education settings. Paper accepted to present at the 2005 National Association for the Education of Young Children, December 5. Washonton, DC.

Wang, X. L. & Eberhard, P. (2005). Helping second language learner construct meaning through hand gestures. Paper presented at the 12th International Conference on Learning, July 11, 2005, Granada, Spain.

Wang, X. L. (2005). Cultural differences in Chinese and American children’s emotional expressions. Paper presented at the 2005 Conference of the International Society for Research on Emotions. July 15. Bari, Italy.

Wang, X. L. (2005). Responding to children’s everyday moral transgressions in Chinese working-class families. Paper presented at the 2005 Biennial Meeting of the Society for Research in Child Development, April 9. Atlanta, Georgia.

Wang, X. L. & Eberhard, P. (2004). A middle-voiced account of gender-role development: Examples from Hutterite Children. Paper presented at the 18th Biennial Conference on Human Development, April 23, Washington, DC.
 
Wang, X. L. (2004). The everyday teaching strategies in four cultural communities: Implications for teachers.  Paper presented at the Annual Meeting of the American Educational Research Association, April 15, San Diego.
 
Wang, X. L. & Eberhard, P (2003). Variations of maternal everyday scaffolding styles in Chinese and Native American families. Paper presented at the XI th European Conference on Developmental Psychology, August 31, Milan, Italy.
 
Wang, X. L. (2003). Effects of teachers’ speech and hand gestures on autistic children’s task responses. Paper presented at the Annual Meeting of the American Educational Research Association, April 21, Chicago.
 
Wang, X. L. (2003). The similarities and differences of spontaneous gesture production of sighted and congenitally blind adolescents. Paper presented at the Biennial meeting of the Society for Research in Child Development, April 24, Tampa, FL.
 
Keyes, C., Wang, X. L., & Williams, K. C. (2001).  The challenges of gaining entry in developing partnerships for professional development—entering teacher’ world and overcome obstacles.  Paper presented at the National Association for the Education of Young Children.  Anaheim, CA. November 3, 2001.
 
Wang, X. L. & Bernas, R. & Eberhard, P. (2001).  Using the spontaneous gesture as a window to understand the current and potential knowledge of children with limited English Proficiency.  Paper presented at the Xth European Conference on Developmental Psychology.  Uppsala University, Uppsala, Sweden August 22-26, 2001.
 
Keyes, C., Wang, X. L., & Bridge, H. (2001).  Parent-teacher partnerships: A theoretical approach and practical guidance for teachers.  Paper presented at the Annual Conference of the Association of Teacher Educators, February 19, New Orleans.
 
Wang, X. L. (2001).  Earlier literacy experiences of children in Chinese and Native American Families.  Paper presented at the Biennial Meeting of  the Society for Research in Child Development, April 20, Minneapolis. 

  
Books in Progress:

• “Mother tongue, father tongue, country tongue: Acquiring and learning three languages simultaneously”
• “The wonders of hand gestures in teaching and learning”

Research Interests:

• Language acquisition, socialization, and development
• Bilingual and Trilingual development
• Gesture communication systems of deaf & blind children
• Effects of hand gestures on teaching and learning (e.g., children with cognitive delay, ADHD, autism as well as English language learners and young children)
• Using hand gestures as a window to detect the current and potential knowledge of second language learners
• Facilitating young children’s communication with hand gestures
• Emotion and hand gestures
• Mother-child interaction and everyday scaffolding styles in different culture communities (e.g., Chinese, Native American, Hutterite, and American communities)
• Gender-role development in cultural context
• Children’s pretend play in Chinese and American cultures
• Early literacy experiences in Chinese and Native American families
• Children’s everyday transgression in cultural context
• Moral messages in children’s literature in different cultural communities
• Effects of games and toys on children’s cognitive development
• Child-rearing practices in different cultural communities
• Learning beliefs in different cultures 

Teaching Philosophy:

• Teaching through questioning
• Teaching through motivation and self-regulation
• Teaching through modeling
• Teaching through developing students’ ability for life-long learning
• Teaching for social justice

Courses Recently Taught:

• Human development in the school context
• Understanding young children in the school context
• Language and meaning and global perspective
• Language acquisition and second language learning
• Teacher as researcher

Honors Courses Taught:

• Verbal and nonverbal communication
• Intercultural communication
• Interpersonal communication