Jenny Singleton

My research investigates how early childhood social and linguistic experiences can shape developing biological systems such as visual attention and self-regulation.  Specifically, my work focuses on gaze following and other visual engagement behaviors observed in the population of deaf and hearing children who are acquiring signed language from infancy.  Through support from the National Science Foundation Science of Learning Center on Visual Language and Visual Learning, I have been able to pursue these research topics using both quantitative and qualitative methods, and am also developing classroom and computer-based applications designed to enhance attention, language, and literacy outcomes for this population.  Other ongoing projects include Ethics in Research involving Deaf Participants, Sign Language Assessment, National K-12 Standards for ASL Development, Atypical Sign Language Acquisition, Sign Language for Atypical Users, and Digital Media for Sign Language and English Literacy.

• Society for Research in Child Development

  
  

• Quinto-Pozos, D., Forber-Pratt, A., & Singleton, J.L. (2011). Do developmental communication disorders exist in the signed modality? Perspectives from Professionals.  Language, Speech and Hearing Services in Schools, 42 (4), 423-443.

• Singleton, J.L. & Supalla, S. (2011). Assessing Children’s Proficiency of Natural Signed Languages. In M. Marschark & P. Spencer (Eds.), Oxford Handbook of Deaf Studies, Language, and Education (2nd edition). New York: Oxford University Press. p. 306-321.

• Corina, D. & Singleton, J. (2009). Developmental Social Cognitive Neuroscience: Insights from Deafness. Child Development, 80 (4), 952-967.

• Singleton, J.L., & Morgan, D.D. (2006). Natural signed language acquisition within the social context of the classroom. In B. Schick, M. Marschark, & P.E. Spencer (Eds.), Advances in sign language development by deaf children. (pp. 344-373). New York: Oxford University Press.

• Singleton, J.L. & Newport, E.L. (2004). When learners surpass their models: the acquisition of American Sign Language from inconsistent input. Cognitive Psychology, 49 (4), 370-407.

• Singleton, J.L. & Tittle, M.D. (2000). Deaf parents and their hearing children. Journal of Deaf Studies and Deaf Education, 5(3), 221-236.

• Goldin-Meadow, S., McNeill, D., & Singleton, J.L. (1996). Silence is liberating: Removing the handcuffs on grammatical expression in the manual modality.  Psychological Review, 103 (1), 34-55.

• Singleton, J.L., Morford, J.P., & Goldin-Meadow, S. (1993). Once is not enough:  Standards of well-formedness in manual communication created over three different timespans. Language, 69 (4), 683-715.