Professor LAU, Carrie G. L.

Teaching Areas:

Child Development; Physical and Social-Emotional Development; English as a Second Language; Parent-Child Relations and Parenting; Home-School-Community Partnership

Research Interests:

Second Language Development; Home learning Environments; Preschool Quality; Social and Emotional Development; Early Childhood Education Policy

Universitas 21 Fellowship (2017-2018)

1. Role of the Home and School in Children's Early English Language and Literacy Development in Hong Kong. Principal Investigator, General Research Fund, Research Grants Council (2020-2022).
2. Assessing the Impact of Socio-Emotional Learning in Children in Target Preschools in Cambodia. Principal Investigator, UNICEF Cambodia (2018-2019).
3. Consultancy Study on the Effectiveness of the Provision of Quality Kindergarten Education in Hong Kong Under the Free Quality Kindergarten Education Policy. Co-Principal Investigator, Education Bureau (2017-2020).
4. The Development and Validation of a Classroom Assessment Tool in Measuring the Quality of English Language Teaching in Early Childhood Settings in Hong Kong. Principal Investigator, University Research Committee, Seed Funding for Basic Research, The University of Hong Kong (2016-2018).
5. Development of a Conceptual Framework for the Survey of Teachers in Pre-primary Education. Co-Investigator, UNESCO: Paris (2015-2016).

Journal Articles

1. *Jiang, Y., Lau, C.^# & Tan, C. Y. (2023). Socioeconomic status and children's English language and literacy outcomes: The mediating role of home literacy environment. Early Education and Development. https://doi.org/10.1080/10409289.2023.2186089
2. *Meng, C., Cohrssen, C., & Lau, C. (2023). Perspectives of children, parents and teachers on school readiness and school transitions in Mainland China: A narrative literature review. Asia-Pacific Journal of Research in Early Childhood Education, 17(1), 91-114. 
3. *Zhang, X., & Lau, C.^# (2022). Development and validation of a parent belief and attitude questionnaire on supporting young children's English as a second/foreign language development. Journal of Multilingual and Multicultural Development. https://doi.org/10.1080/01434632.2022.2105854
4. Rao, N., Chan, S. W. Y., Wang, R., Lee, D., Ng, R. Y. T., Becher, Y., Lau, C., Sun, J., Ho, F. K., & Ip, P. (2022). The Hong Kong Early Child Development Scale-3: A validation study. Asia-Pacific Journal of Research in Early Childhood Education, 16(2), 1-23. http://http://dx.doi.org/10.17206/apjrece.2022.16.2.1
5. *Zhang, X., Lau, C., & Su, Y. (2021). Home environment and development of English as a second/foreign language for young children in Asian contexts: A systematic review and meta-analysis. Early Education and Development. https://doi.org/10.1080/10409289.2021.1981065
6. *Zhang, X., Lau, C., & Yang, Y. (2021). Shyness and social-emotional development among Chinese children: A systematic review and meta-analysis. Infant and Child Development. https://doi.org/10.1002/icd.2265
7. Lau, C., & Richards, B. (2021). Home literacy environment and children's English language and literacy skills in Hong Kong. Frontiers in Psychology. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2020.569581
8. Lau, C. (2020).English language education in Hong Kong: A review of policy and practice. Current Issues in Language Planning, 21(5),457-474. https://doi.org/10.1080/14664208.2020.1741239
9. *Su, Y., Lau, C., & Rao, N. (2020). Early educational policy and preschool attendance in China: Findings from the China Family Panel Studies. Early Childhood Research Quarterly, 53, 11-22. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ecresq.2020.02.001
10. Rao, N., Richards, B., Lau, C., Weber, A.M., Sun, J., Darmstadt, G.L., Sincovich, A., Bacon-Shone, J., & Ip, P. (2020). Associations among early stimulation, stunting, and child development in four countries in the East Asia-Pacific. International Journal of Early Childhood. https://doi.org/10.1007/s13158-020-00270-8
11. Lau, C., Wang, Y., Chan, S.W.Y., Chen, E.E., McBride, C., Tse, S.K., Richards, B., & Rao, N. (2019). Promoting Chinese literacy in South Asian preschoolers and their mothers in Hong Kong: An intervention study. Early Education and Development, 31(4), 561-581. https://doi.org/10.1080/10409289.2019.1690341
12. Sun, J., Lau, C., Sincovich, A., & Rao, N. (2018). Socioceconomic status and early childhood development in East Asia and the Pacific: The protective role of parental engagement in learning activities. Children and Youth Services Review, 93, 321-330. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.childyouth.2018.08.010
13. Sun, J., Zhang, L., Chen, E.E., Lau, C., & Rao, N. (2018). Preschool attendance, executive function and family socio-economic status-related early academic achievement gaps in East Asia and the Pacific: A multiple mediation analysis. Early Education and Development, 29(8), 1039-1060. https://doi.org/10.1080/10409289.2018.1498999
14. *Wu, D.D., Lau, C., & Li, H. (2017). "Physical Space First!": A corpus-based study on the use of localizer 'Shang' in early child mandarin. Corpus Pragmatics, 2(2), 149-166.
15. Lau, C., & Rao, N. (2013). English Vocabulary Instruction in Six Early Childhood Classrooms in Hong Kong. Early Child Development and Care,183(10), 1363-1380. https://doi.org/10.1080/03004430.2013.788815
16. Rao, N., Sun, J., Ng, S.N.N., Ma, K., Becher, Y., Lee, D., Lau, C., Zhang, L., Chow, C.B., & Ip, P. (2013). The Hong Kong Early Child Development Scale: A Validation Study. Child Indicators Research, 6, 115-135. https://doi.org/10.1007/s12187-012-9161-7

* Denotes publications with students/graduates

# Denotes corresponding authorship

Book Chapters

1. Lau, C., & Rao, N. (2018). Early childhood education in Hong Kong. In J. Roopnarine, J.E. Johnson, S. Quinn & M. Patte (Eds.), Handbook of international perspectives on early childhood education. New York: Routledge.
2. Rao, N., & Lau, C. (2018). Responsive policy making and implementation: From equality to equity in Hong Kong's early childhood policy. In S.L. Kagan (Ed,). The early advantage: Early childhood systems that lead by example. New York: Teachers College Press.
3. Ng, S.S.N., Sun, J., Lau, C., & Rao, N. (2017). Early childhood education in Hong Kong: Progress, challenges and opportunities. In N. Rao, J. Zhou, & J. Sun (Eds.). Early childhood education in Chinese societies. Dordrecht, Netherlands: Springer.

Encyclopedia Entries 

1. Lau, C. (2018).Inequality. In M. Bornstein, M.E.Arterberry, K.L. Fingerman & J.E. Lansford (Eds.), The SAGE Encyclopedia of Lifespan Human Development. Thousand Oaks, CA: SAGE.

Conference Papers/Posters

1. *Li, Z., & Lau, C. (2019, June). Teaching practices and beliefs regarding moral education in a religion class: A case study of a Hong Kong kindergarten class. Paper presented at the Asia-Pacific Network for Moral Education Twelfth Annual Conference, Bali, Indonesia.
2. Chan, S.W.Y., Lau, C., Richards, B., Chen, E.E., & Rao, N. (2019, March). Promoting Chinese literacy of South Asian preschoolers and their caregivers in Hong Kong. Poster presented at the Biennial Meeting of the Society for Research in Child Development, Baltimore, USA.
3. *Su, Y., Lau, C., & Rao, N. (2019, March). Early education policy and preschool attendance in China: Findings from the China Family Panel Studies. Poster presented at Biennial Meeting of the Society for Research in Child Development, Baltimore, USA.
4. Lau, C. (2018, December). Policymaking and implementation of early childhood education in Hong Kong. Paper presented at the International Conference on Preschool Education Quality, Shanghai, China.
5. Chen, E.E., Lau, C., Lo, O., Lee, D., Becher, Y., Richards, B., & Rao, N. (2017, March). Closing the Gap: Supporting Ethnic Minority Children and Caregivers in Hong Kong. Paper presented at Asia-Pacific Regional Conference on Early Childhood, Siem Reap, Cambodia.
6. Lau, C., Sun, J., Gao, S. & Rao, N. (2016, July). Home Literacy Environment and Early Language and Literacy Development in Six East-Asian and Pacific Countries. Poster presented at the International Society for the Study of Behavioural Development 2016 Biennial Meeting, Vilnius, Lithuania.
7. Lau, C., Rao, N., & Ng, M. (2015, March). Home Literacy Environment and English Vocabulary Knowledge of Preschoolers in Hong Kong. Poster presented at the Society of Research in Child Development Biennial Meeting, Philadelphia, PA.
8. Lau, C., & Rao, N. (2014, July). Chinese Parents’ Beliefs and Home Literacy Practices in Hong Kong. Paper presented at 30th OMEP World Congress, Ireland.
9. Lau, C. (2013, July). How do Teachers Teach English in Early Childhood Classrooms in Hong Kong? Paper presented at 29th OMEP World Congress, Shanghai, China.
10. Rao, N., Sun, J., Ng, S.N.N., Ma, K., Becher, Y., Lee, D., Lau, C., Zhang, L., Chow, C.B., & Ip, P. (2013, July). The Hong Kong Early Child Development Scale: A Validation Study. Paper presented at 29th OMEP World Congress, Shanghai, China.
11. Lau, C., Sun, J. & Rao, N. (2012, July). The Influences of Family Background on Different Domains of Child Development: Observations From Hong Kong. Poster presented at the International Society for the Study of Behavioural Development 2012 Biennial Meeting, Edmonton, Canada.
12. Sun, J., Rao, N. & Lau, C. (2012, July). Home Literacy Environment and Children’s Literacy Achievement: Observations from China. Paper presented at the International Society for the Study of Behavioural Development 2012 Biennial Meeting, Edmonton, Canada.
13. Lau, C. & Lee, D. (2011, November).  Facilitating the Development of the Under-Threes: Observations from Hong Kong. Paper presented at Asia-Pacific Regional Conference on Early Childhood, Singapore.
14. Lau, C. & Koong, M. (2010, August). Child Rights and Early Childhood Education in Hong Kong. Paper presented at 26th OMEP World Congress, Goteborg, Sweden.

Invited/Public Lectures

1. Lau, C. (2022, October). Second language development in infants and toddlers: The role of parents and teachers. https://jcbrightstart.hk/en/second-language-development-in-infants-and-toddlers-public-talk/(online)
2. Lau, C. (2019, March). Home and preschool learning environments and children's English language learning in Hong Kong. Presented at the Home and School Influences on Early Learning Conference organized by the University of Chicago, The University of Chicago Francis and Rose Yuen Campus, Hong Kong. 
3. Lau, C. (2019, December). Promoting English language learning in the early years: The role of families and schools. Presented at the Learning and Teaching Expo 2019 organized by the Hong Kong Education City.

(2020- 2022) Panel Member, Hong Kong Council for Accreditation of Academic and Vocational Qualifications 

(2019 - 2021) Chairperson, Curriculum Development Council Committee on Early Childhood Education

(2019 - 2021) Member of Working Groups, Standing Committee on Language Education and Research

(2017 - 2019) Member, Curriculum Development Council Committee on Early Childhood Education 

(2017 - 2019) Member, Curriculum Development Council Committee on English Language Education

(2015 - 2016) Executive Committee Member, World Organisation for Early Childhood Education - Hong Kong (OMEP- HK)

Journal Reviewer

Applied Psycholinguistics, Child Development, Current Issues in Language Planning, Journal of Research in Reading, Children and Society, Early Childhood Research Quarterly, Educational Psychology, npj Science of Learning

Consultancy

(2015 - 2016) Expert Member, Documentation of Innovative Pedagogical Approaches and Tools, ARNEC & UNESCO Bangkok.