Brenda Smith-Chant
Associate Professor
B.A. (Trent University)
M.A., Ph.D. (Carleton University)
Phone: 905-435-5102 ext. 5069
Email: bresmith@trentu.ca
Research interests:
I am interested in cognitive development from the perspective that the experience, education and social programs have a fundamental influence on how information is organized in memory and the resulting behavior. Accordingly, my research follows three main streams: 1) How children acquire basic math and literacy skills, particularly the influence that their preschool learning environment has on their performance; 2) How social programs influence cognition and behavior; and 3) Community-based initiatives to support cognitive and behavioural change.
Currently, I am involved in three major research initiatives: “Count Me In!”, examining long-term predictors of math performance in Canadian Children; the “Cuba/Canada Initiative”, a cross-cultural exploration of the impact of preventative vs a traditional ‘medical’ model for health and social programs on children’s development; and “An Evaluation of the Aboriginal Community Activator Pilot Program”, an evaluation of a community-based approach to developing social programs.
Teaching:
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PSYC 1020H-B FA OSH: Introduction to Psychology I
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PSYC 2550H-A FA OSH: Theories of Human Development
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PSYC 1030H-A WI OSH: Introduction to Psychology II
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PSYC 3500H-A WI OSH: Child Development
Selected publications:
Smith-Chant, B.L. (2009). Early childhood education and health. In D. Raphael’s Social Determinants of Health: Canadian Perspectives, Second Edition. Toronto: Scholar’s Press Inc., 143-155.
LeFevre, J., Skwarchuk, S.L., Smith-Chant, B.L., Fast, L., Kamawar, D. & Bisanz, J. (2009). Home Numeracy Experiences and Children’s Math Performance in the Early School Years. Canadian journal of Behavioural Science, 41, 55-66.
Sénéchal, M., LeFevre, J., Smith-Chant, B.L., & Colton, K. (2001). On refining theoretical models of emergent literacy: The role of empirical evidence. Journal of School Psychology, 39, 439-460.