Child Language Lab

We study how children acquire the rules and variation in their native languages. We combine experimental methods, computational modeling, and insights from theoretical linguistics to understand how structure emerges in the developing mind.

The best place to see what we’ve been working on recently is our publications and outreach pages above.

Participate in a Study

Families can take part in brief (20–30 minute) online studies where children play language games or listen to stories to help us learn how language is acquired.

Current studies
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Join the Lab

Email Katie to express interest, including about undergraduate opportunities. Postdocs apply through the MindCORE or Provost’s Fellowships. Graduate students apply through Penn Linguistics.

Current Lab Members

Lab Alumni

Graduate students: Yiran Chen, Daoxin Li
Lab managers: Madison Paron, Alessandra Pintado-Urbanc, Ariel Mathis
Undergraduate researchers: Zaid Tabaza, Aja Altenhof, Stephan Pophristic, Nathaniel Serio, Annalise Kendrick, Amy Krimm, Alexis Bartee, Izabela Baran, Insia Haque, Mia Schwartzberg, Nina Wang, Abby Ray, Iris Zhong, Cynthia Gu, Tula Childs, Lauren Kim, Ania Alberski, Breyasia Scott, Dorina Domi, Ayyah Alhuraibi, Jasmine Raj
High school students: Vivian Legate-Yang, Simone Urwin, Katarina Siggelkow