Representative Research Publications 

Waschl, N., Khng, K. H., Bull, R., Ng, E. L., Sun, H., & Chan, W. T. (2023). Screening for executive function difficulties: An evaluation of the Behavior Rating Inventory of Executive Function-2nd Edition Screener, Teacher Report (BRIEF2-TS). Psychological Assessment, Online First.

Chan, W. T., Bull, R., Ng, E. L., Waschl, N., & Poon, K. K. (2021). Validation of the Child Behavior Rating Scale (CBRS) using multilevel factor analysis. Psychological Assessment, 33(11), 1138-1151. 

Ng, E. L., Bull, R., Bautista, A., & Poon, K. (2021). A bifactor model of the Classroom Assessment Scoring System in preschool and early intervention classrooms in Singapore. International Journal of Early Childhood, 53, 197-218.

Waschl, N., Poon, K.K., Chen, M., & Xie, H. (2021). Assessing Family Outcomes over time: Longitudinal measurement invariance of the Family Outcomes Survey-Revised. Topics in Early Childhood Special Education.

Waschl, N., Yang, X., Xie, H., Chen, M., & Poon, K. K. (2021). Construct validity of the Family Outcomes Survey-Revised expanded helpfulness scale. Research in Developmental Disabilities, 112, 103895. 

Khng, K. H., & Mane,R. (2020). Beyond BCI—Validating a wireless, consumer-grade EEG headset against a medical-grade system for evaluating EEG effects of a test anxiety intervention in school. Advanced Engineering Informatics, 45(null), 101106.

Yang, Y. & LoBue, V. (2020). The Child Affective Facial Expression set short versions (CAFE-Ss): Development and validation of two subsets of children’s emotional faces with variability. Frontiers in Psychology, 11, 599245. 

Khng, K.H. (2024). Cognitive Inhibition in the Classroom. In Hung, W.L.D., Jamaludin, A., Rahman, A.A. (Ed.), Applying the Science of Learning to Education (pp. 243–266). Singapore: Springer.

Rifkin-Graboi A, Goh SK, Chong HJ, Tsotsi S, Sim LW, Tan KH, Chong YS, Meaney MJ. (2021). Caregiving adversity during infancy and preschool cognitive function: adaptations to context?. J Dev Orig Health Dis., 12(6), 890-901.

Wang, J., Yang, Y., Macias, C., & Bonawitz E. (2021). Children with more uncertainty in their intuitive theories seek domain-relevant information. Psychological Science, 32(7), 1147-1156.

Yu, Y., & Kushnir, T. (2020). The ontogeny of cumulative culture: Individual toddlers vary in faithful imitation and goal emulation. Developmental Science, 23(1), e12862.

Green, C., & Sun, H. (2024). Picturebooks Increase the Frequency and Diversity of Emotion Vocabulary in Children’s Language Environments: Modeling Potential Benefits to Emotional Literacy, with Pedagogical Resources. Early Education and Development, 36(3), 568–586.

Nie, Y. Sun, B., & Xiong, F (2024). Motivation and Self-regulated Learning Profiles: A Person-centered Perspective of English Learning and Achievement in an Asia Context. System, online first, 1-24.

Sun, B. & Nie, Y. (2024). Does classroom matter in bilingual students’ Chinese language achievement? A multilevel analysis of the compositional effect and person–context interaction. Journal of Educational Psychology, 116(7), 1238–1249.

Sun, B., Nie, Y., Goh, H. H., Wong, H. M., & Kwek, D. B. K. (2024). Enhancing bilingual learners’ Chinese learning: which type of home support is effective?. Language and Education, 0, 1-20.

Sun, B., & O’Brien, B. (2024). The Interplay of Home Language Use, Oral Language and Early Reading and Writing Skills in Singaporean Bilingual Children's English and Chinese Languages. Reading and Writing: An Interdisciplinary Journal, Online first, 1-20,

Sun, H., & Batra, R. (2024). Contextualized and decontextualized questions on bilinguals’ heritage language learning and reading engagement. Reading and Writing: An Interdisciplinary Journal, 37, 1733–1752.

Sun, H., Tan, J., & Feng, L. (2024). Proficiency and Compensatory Strategies in Bilingual Children’s Mandarin Narratives. Reading and Writing, 37, 1733–1752.

Wu, C.-Y., & O’Brien, B. A. (2024). Brain Signatures of Reading within Different Types of Learners and across Written Languages: Evidence and Implications for Education. In Hung, D. W. L., Jamaludin A., & Rahman, A. A. (Eds.), Applying the Science of Learning to Education (pp. 21-54). Singapore: Springer Nature.

Steinkrauss, R., Green, C., Verspoor, M., & Sun, H. (2023). A Dynamic Usage Based Perspective of Child Bilinguals’ English Development. International Journal of Complexity in Education, 4(1), 9-36.

Sun, B., Loh, C. E., Mukhlis Abu Bakar, & Vaish, V. (2023). Bilingual children’s perceived family language policy and its contribution to leisure reading. Language Policy, 22(4), 477-500.

Sun, B., O’Brien, B., Arshad, B.A., & Sun, H. (2023). The contribution of intrinsic motivation and home literacy environment to Singaporean bilingual children’s receptive vocabulary. Reading and Writing: An Interdisciplinary Journal, 37, 1849–1877.

Sun, H., Low, J. M., & Chua, C. (2023). Maternal Language Proficiency and Bilingual Children’s Heritage Language Learning. International journal of Bilingual Education and Bilingualism, 26(7), 861-875, 4.159.

Sun, H., Tan, J., & Chen, W. (2023). COVID-19 and bilingual children’s home language environment: Digital media, socioeconomic status, and language status. Frontiers in Psychology, 14.

Vaish, V., Baoqi, S., & Dixon, Q. (2023). Home language environment and bilingual acquisition in preschoolers from low-income homes: differential impact of language and literacy related factors. Journal of Multilingual and Multicultural Development, 1, 1-14.

Vijayakumar, P., Steinkrauss, R., Sun, H. (2023). Entering into the Weak Version of Translanguaging: Teachers’ English Use in Children’s Tamil Language Classes in Singapore. Journal of Multilingual and Multicultural Development, 44(3), 230-247.

Curdt-Christiansen, X. L. & Sun, B. (2022). Establishing and maintaining a multilingual family language policy. In A. Stavans & U. Jessner (Eds.), The Cambridge Handbook of Childhood Multilingualism (pp. 257-277). Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.

Sun, B. & Goh, H.H. (2022). The Learning of National and Local Languages in the Asia-Pacific Countries. In Lee, W.O., Brown, P., Goodwin, A.L., Green, A. (Ed.), International Handbook on Education Development in Asia-Pacific (pp. 1-19). Singapore : Springer, Singapore.

Sun, H. (2022). Harmonious Bilingualism: the Concept, the Significance and the Implications. In Tan, O. S., Poon K., O’Brien, B., & Rifkin, A. (Eds.), The Future of Early Childhood in Singapore: Policies, Perspectives, Teacher Education and Research book. (pp. 261-280). Singapore: Springer.

Sun, H., Roberts, A. C., & Bus, A. (2022). Bilingual children’s visual attention while reading digital picture books and story retelling. Journal of Experimental Child Psychology, 215, 105327.

Sun, H., & Verspoor, M. (2022). Mandarin Vocabulary Growth, Teacher Qualification and Teacher Talk in Bilingual Kindergartners. International Journal of Bilingual Education and Bilingualism, 25(6), 1976-1991.

Sun, H., Waschl, N., & Veera, R. (2022). Language Experience and Bilingual Children's Heritage Language Learning. Studies in Second Language Acquisition, advance online, 1-28.

Green, C., & Sun, H. (2021). Global estimates of syntactic alignment in adult and child utterances during interaction: NLP estimates based on multiple corpora. Language Sciences, advance online, 1-14.

Khng, K. H., & Ng, E. L. (2021). Fine motor and executive functioning skills predict math and spelling skills at the start of kindergarten: A compensatory account. Journal for the Study of Education and Development, 44(3), 675-718, 1.077.

Sun, B., Loh, C. E. & Nie, Y. (2021). The COVID-19 School Closure Effect on Students’ Print and Digital Leisure Reading. Computers and Education Open, 2, 1-20.

Sun, B., Loh, C. E., O’Brien, B.A., & Silver, R. (2021). The Effect of the COVID-19 Lockdown on Bilingual Singaporean Children’s Leisure Reading. AERA Open. 7, 233285842110338–. 

Sun, H., Bornstein, & M., Esposito, G. (2021). The Specificity Principle in Young Dual Language Learners’ English Development. Child Development, 92(5), 1752-1768.

Sun, H., & Ng, E. L. (2021). Home and school factors in early English language development. Asia Pacific Journal of Education, 41(4), 657-672.

O’Brien, B.A., Habib, M.B., Arshad, N.A., Lim, N.C. (2020). The impact of different writing systems on children’s spelling error profiles: alphabetic, akshara and hanzi cases. Frontiers in Psychology Special Issue: Spelling Across Orthographies.

Sun, B., Loh, C.E., & Curdt-Christiansen, X.L. (2020). Leisure reading in multilingual Singapore: Reading enjoyment, habits and preferences of Singaporean children. Journal of Multilingual Theories and Practices, 1(2), 313-340.

Sun, B., Hu, G. W., &. Curdt-Christiansen, X.L (2020). Metalinguistic contribution to reading comprehension: A study of monolingual children in China and bilingual children in Singapore.Applied Psycholinguistics, 41(3), 657-684.

Sun, H., Ng, S. C., O’Brien, B.A., & Fritzsche, T. (2020). Child, family, and school factors in bilingual preschoolers’ vocabulary development in heritage languages. Journal of Child Language, 47(4), 817-843.

Sun, H., Toh, W. M., & Steinkrauss, R. (2020). Instructional strategies and linguistic features of kindergarten teachers’ shared book reading: the case of Singapore. Applied Psycholinguistics, 41(2), 427-456.  

Sun, H., & Yin, B. (2020). Multimedia input and bilingual children’s language learning. Frontiers in Psychology, 11, 1-11.

Sun, H., Yin, B. (2020). Vocabulary development in early language education. In Schwartz, M. (Ed.), International handbook on early language education (pp. 1-26). Cham: Springer.

Sun, H., Yussof, N., Vijayakumar, P., Lai, G., O’Brien, B. A., & Ong, Q.H. (2020). Teacher's code-switching and bilingual children's heritage language learning and cognitive switching flexibility. Journal of Child Language, 47(2), 309-336. 

Wu, C.-Y., O’Brien, B. A., Styles, S. J., & Chen, S.-H. A. (2020). The Impact of Bilingualism on Skills Development and Education. In Tan, S. C. & Chen, S.-H. A. (Eds.), Transforming Teaching and Learning in Higher Education (pp. 47-69). Singapore: Springer.

Yussof, N. T., Sun, H. (2020). Mismatches between teacher beliefs, practices and reasons for English use in preschool Malay language classrooms. Journal of Language and Education, 34(4), 363-382.

Cheung, P., Bourque, T., Ang, D., & Merkley, R. (2025). Early number acquisition in bilingual children. Cognitive Development, 73, 101541.

Wege, T., Bourque, T., Merkley, R., & Cheung, P. (2025). Thirty years of the Give-N task: A systematic review, reflections, and recommendations. Journal of Numerical Cognition, 15823, 1.

Ang, D., Sun, B., & Cheung, P. (2024). The effect of book genre in eliciting teacher math talk. Mind, Brain, and Education, 18(4), 408-416. 

Lee, T. Y., Sim, L.W., Anwar, M.S.B.M., Cheung, P., Lee, K., Ansari, D., Esposito, G., Rifkin-Graboi, A (2024). Specificity of Mastery-Motivation-Related Behaviours in relation to Singaporean Preschoolers' Mathematical Performance. European Journal of Psychology of Education, 39, 3115–3138. 

Cheung, P., & Ansari, D. (2023). A million is more than a thousand: Children’s acquisition of very large number words. Developmental Science, 26, e13246.

Cheung, P., Munez, D., Ng, E. L., Khng, K. H., Bull, R. (2022). The development of early arithmetic skills: What, when, and how?. In Tan, O. S., Poon, K., Rifkin-Graboi, A., O'Brien, B. (Ed.), Early childhood development and education in Singapore (pp. 241-260). Singapore: Springer Nature.

Muñez, D., Bull, R., Cheung, P., & Orrantia, J. (2022). Non-symbolic ratio reasoning in kindergarteners: underlying unidimensional heuristics and relations with math abilities. Frontiers in Psychology, 13, Article 800977

Munez, D., Lee, K. Bull, R., Khng, K. H., Cheam, F., & Rahim, R. A. (2022). Working memory and numeracy training for children with math learning difficulties: evidence from a large-scale implementation in the classroom. Journal of Educational Psychology, 114(8), 1866–1880. 

Cheung, P. (2021). Individuation: Number marking languages vs. classifier languages. In Cabredo Hofher, P., Doetjes, J. (Ed.), Oxford Handbook of Grammatical Number (online edn). Oxford: Oxford University Press.

Cheung, P., & Ansari, D. (2021). Cracking the code of place value: The relation between place and value takes years to master. Developmental Psychology, 57(2), 227-240.

Cheung, P., Toomey, M., Jiang, H., Stoop, T., & Shusterman, A. (2021). Acquisition of the counting principles during the subset-knower stages: Insights from children’s errors. Developmental Science, 25, e13219.

Khng, K. H., & Ng, E. L. (2021). Fine motor and executive functioning skills predict math and spelling skills at the start of kindergarten: A compensatory account. Journal for the Study of Education and Development, 44(3), 675-718, 1.077.

Ng, E. L., Bull, R., & Khng, K. H. (2021). Accounting for the SES-math achievement gap at school entry: Unique mediation paths via executive functioning and behavioral self-regulation. Frontiers in Education, 6.

Chu, J., Cheung, P., Schneider, R., Sullivan, J., & Barner, D. (2020). Counting to infinity: Does learning the syntax of the count list predict knowledge that numbers are infinite?. Cognitive Science, 44(8), e12875.

Low, A, Yue, Yu, Sim, LW, Bureau, JF, Chuan, NC, Chen, H,. Yang, Y, Cheon, B., Lee, K., Bakermans-Kranenburg, M., Tsosti, S., Rifkin-Graboi, A. (2023). Maternal Distress and Parenting During COVID-19: Differential Effects Related to Pre-Pandemic Distress?. BMC Psychiatry, 23(374).

Yang, Y., Chua, J. J. E., Khng, K. H., & Yu, Y. (2023). COVID-19, Family Dynamics, and Perceived Mental Health Among Families in Singapore. Journal of Child and Family Studies, 32, 555–570.

Tan, H.K., Goh K.Y., Tsotsi, S., Bruntraeger, M., Chen, H., Broekman, B., Tan, K.H., Chong, Y.S., Meaney, M.J., Qiu, A., Rifkin-Graboi, A. (2020). Maternal antenatal anxiety and electrophysiological functioning amongst a sub-set of preschoolers participating in the GUSTO cohort. BMC Psychiatry, 20(1), 62. 

Chan, W. T., Waschl, N., Bull, R., & Ng, E. L. (2024). Does experience matter? Measuring self-efficacy in preservice and in-service early childhood educators using the Teachers' Sense of Efficacy Scale. The Asia-Pacific Education Researcher, 33, 1201–1212.

Cumming, T., McFarland, L., Saha, M., Bull, R., Wong, S., Ng, E. L., Sun, J., O’Hara-Gregan, J., Gould, K., & Richardson, B. (2024). Developing the WECARE cross-national research alliance for investigating early childhood educators’ wellbeing. Qualitative Research Journal, ahead-of-print, 1-15.

Ng, E. L. (2024). Enhancing children’s well-being by supporting the well-being of early childhood educators. In Tan, O. S., Low, E. L., Caleon, I. S., & Ng, E. L. (Eds.), Empowering teaching and learning through policies and practice: Singapore and international perspectives: Vol. 4, Enhancing holistic well-being of children and youth: Insights from Singapore for research, policy, and practice in education. (pp. 79-90). Singapore: Springer.

Ng, E. L., Meow, E. (2022). Preschool teachers' experiences of work-related stress: A pilot study of Singapore teachers. In Tan, O. S., Poon, K., Rifkin-Graboi, A., O'Brien, B. (Ed.), Early childhood development and education in Singapore (pp. 303-320). Singapore : Springer Nature.

Bautista, A., Bull, R., Ng, E. L., & Lee, K. (2021). “That’s just impossible in my kindergarten.” Advocating for ‘glocal' early childhood curriculum frameworks. Policy Futures in Education, 19(2), 155-174.

Karuppiah, N. (2021). Enhancing the quality of teacher-child interactions in Singapore pre-schools. Journal of Childhood, Education and Society, 2(1), 58-68.

Tan, S. H., Liem, G. A. D., & Pang, J. S. (2021). Assessment-as-learning through the lens of self-regulated learning: The role of normative competence. In Z. Yan & L. Yang (Eds.), Assessment as Learning (pp. 158–172). Abingdon: Routledge.

Hashim, N., Fischer, N. L., Kim, E. B., Yeung, W. J. J., & Yu, R. (2023). The influence of socioeconomic status and appearance‐reality understanding on pre‐schoolers' sharing and generosity. British Journal of Developmental Psychology, 41(4), 325-342.

Khng, K. H. (2023). Deep breathing and mindfulness: Simple techniques to promote students’ self-regulation and well-being from the inside out. In King, R., Caleon, I., & Bernardo, A. (Eds.), Positive Psychology and Positive Education in Asia: Understanding and Fostering Well-Being in Schools (pp. 311–325). Singapore: Springer.

Sun, H., Ng, S. C., & Peh, A. (2023). Shared book reading and children’s social-emotional learning in Asian Schools. In King, R., Caleon, I., & Bernardo, A. (Eds.), Positive Psychology and Positive Education in Asia: Understanding and Fostering Well-Being in Schools (pp. 293–309). Singapore: Springer.

Khng, K.H. (2022). Mindfulness in early childhood: Developing 21st Century Competencies. In Tan, O. S., Poon, K. L. K., O’ Brien, B. A., & Rifkin-Graboi, A. (Eds.), Early childhood development and education in Singapore (pp. 163-187). Singapore: Springer.

Ng, S. C., & Sun, H. (2022). Promoting Social Emotional Learning through Shared Book Reading in Kindergarten Classrooms. Early Education and Development, 33(8), 1326-1346.

Tsotsi, S., & Yang, Y. (2022). Master Your Feelings: Emotional Competence in Early Childhood Parent-Related Antecedents and Child Outcomes. In Tan, O.S., Poon, K.K., O’Brien, B.A., Rifkin-Graboi, A. (eds), Early Childhood Development and Education in Singapore (pp. 217-240). Springer, Singapore.

Sun, H., Yussof, N., Habib Mohamed, M., Rahim, A., Bull, R., Cheung, M., & Cheong, S.A. (2021). Bilingual language experience and children's social-emotional and behavioral skills: a cross-sectional study of Singapore preschoolers. International Journal of Bilingual Education and Bilingualism, 24(3), 324-339.

S Griffiths, SKY Goh, CF Norbury (2020). Early language competence, but not general cognitive ability, predicts children’s recognition of emotion from facial and vocal cues. PeerJ, 8, e9118.

Xie, H. C., Layne, H., Abu Bakar, M., Jesuvadian, M., Ng, E. L., Phoon, C. P., Lim, R., Chai, S., Loh, J. Y., Cheah, J. & Poon, K. (2024). A mixed methods evaluation of an ecological systems approach for supporting young children from low-income backgrounds in Singapore. Asia-Pacific Journal of Education, 44(3), 659-680.

S Tsotsi, S Goh, RJ Coplan, E Bølstad, NO Czajkowski, D Smajlagic (2023). Co-occurrence of internalizing difficulties and aggression in early childhood and risk of mental health problems in middle childhood. International Journal of Behavioral Development, 5(47), 384-396.

Nah, Y. H., Chen, M., & Poon, K. K. (2022). Supporting Individuals With Autism Spectrum Disorder in Singapore. Intervention in School and Clinic, 57(5), 348-354.

Shaun KY Goh, Sarah Griffiths, Courtenay F Norbury (2021). Sources of variability in the prospective relation of language to social, emotional, and behavior problem symptoms: Implications for developmental language disorder. Journal of Abnormal Psychology, 130(6), 676.

Goh, S. K., Yang, H., Tsotsi, S., Qiu, A., Chong, Y. S., Tan, K. H., ... & Rifkin-Graboi, A. (2020). Mitigation of a prospective association between early language delay at toddlerhood and ADHD among bilingual preschoolers: Evidence from the GUSTO Cohort.Journal of Abnormal Child Psychology, 48(4), 511-523.

Wang, Q. & Yang, Y. (2025). Asian Parenting and Emotional Development in a Multilevel Analysis. In Chen, X. (Ed.), Asian Parenting: Meanings, Characteristics, and Implications (pp. 1-28). New York: Taylor & Francis.

Chan, R. K. C., & Yang, Y. (2024). The Role of Caregivers in Promoting Children’s Well-being in Early Childhood. In Tan, O. S., Low, E.L., Caleon, I. S., & Ng, E. L. (Eds.), Enhancing Holistic Well-Being of Children and Youth Insights from Singapore for Research, Policy and Practice in Education (pp. 105-119). Singapore: Springer Nature Singapore Pte Ltd.

Jocson, R. M., & Karuppiah, N. (2024). Parental involvement in education and young children’s well-being in Singapore. In O. S. Tan, E. L. Low, I. S. Caleon, & E. Ng (Eds.), Enhancing holistic well-being of children and youth: Insights from Singapore for research, policy and practice in education (pp. 121-133). Singapore: Springer.

Sun, H., Rocafort, Q. H., & Ong, W. S. (2024). Language Use and Proficiency in Bilingual Children’s Subjective Wellbeing. In Tan, O. S., Caleon, I., & Ng, E. L. (Eds.), Enhancing Holistic Well-Being of Children and Youth: Insights from Singapore for Research, Policy and Practice in Education (pp. 167–180). Singapore: Springer.

Tan, O. S., Low, E. L., Caleon, I. S., Ng, E. L. (2024). Introduction to Well-being of Children and Youth in Singapore. In Tan, O. S., Low, E. L., Caleon, I. S., Ng, E. L. (Ed.), Enhancing Holistic Well-Being of Children and Youth. Insights from Singapore for Research, Policy and Practice in Education (pp. 1-11). Singapore: Springer Singapore.

Tan, S. H., & Jamaludin, A. (2024). A Research Synthesis of Well-being in Children and Adolescents in Singapore. In O. S. Tan, E. L. Low, I. S. Caleon, E. L. Ng (Ed.), Enhancing Holistic Well-Being of Children and Youth (pp. 15-32). Singapore: Springer.

Kadir, M. S., Wong, Z. Y., Tan, S. H., & Caleon, I. S. (2023). The basic psychological need satisfaction and frustration, and emotional well-being of young at-risk and non-at-risk students in Singapore. In B. Ng (Ed.), Self-Determination Theory and Socioemotional Learning (pp. 127–144). Singapore : Springer Nature Singapore.