Linda Baker, Ph.D.
Professor and Chair

Degree: Ph.D., Rutgers University

Area: Cognitive Development

Office: MP 327 (410) 455-2370
E-mail: baker@umbc.edu
Fax: (410) 455-1055

Website: not provided by instructor

Brief Biographical Sketch and Research Interests

Dr. Linda Baker is a professor of psychology at UMBC. Her research interests include early literacy development, motivation for reading, parental influences on cognitive development and educational achievement, metacognition and comprehension monitoring, and instructional interventions to improve reading. In collaboration with UMBC professors Robert Serpell and Susan Sonnenschein, she conducted and is continuing to analyze the data from a 5-year longitudinal examination of how the development of reading competence and motivation is related to family literacy practices and parents' beliefs. The study, known as the Early Childhood Project, was funded by the National Institute of Child Health and Human Development and by the Office of Educational Research and Improvement, through the National Reading Research Center. With current funding from the Spencer Foundation, in collaboration with UMCP professor Jean Dreher, she is investigating the effects of a classroom-based intervention to improve the reading achievement and motivation of children attending high poverty schools.

Dr. Baker is a core faculty member of the Applied Developmental Psychology Ph.D. program. She teaches courses in developmental psychology and cognitive development and education at the undergraduate level and courses in reading development, mathematical development, and schooling and development at the graduate level. She serves as a research mentor for ADP graduate students as well as undergraduates interested in acquiring research experience.

Dr. Baker is an associate editor of the Journal of Educational Psychology (effective January 2002). In addition, she serves or has served on the editorial boards of eight journals in the areas of literacy, education, and child development.

Selected Recent Publications

Books

Baker, L., Afflerbach, P., & Reinking, D. (Eds.) (1996). Developing engaged readers in school and home communities. Mahwah, NJ: Erlbaum.

Baker, L., Dreher, M. J., & Guthrie, J. T. (Eds.) (2000). Engaging young readers: Promoting achievement and motivation. New York: Guilford.

Articles

Baker, L., Sonnenschein, S., & Gilat, M. (1996). Mothers' sensitivity to the competencies of their preschoolers on a concept learning task. Early Childhood Research Quarterly, 11, 405-424.

Fernandez-Fein, S., & Baker, L. (1997). Rhyme sensitivity and relevant experiences in preschoolers from diverse backgrounds. Journal of Literacy Research, 29, 433-459.

Baker, L., Scher, D., & Mackler, K. (1997). Home and family influences on motivations for literacy. Educational Psychologist, 32, 69-82.

Baker, L., & Wigfield, A. (1999). Dimensions of children's motivation for reading and their relations to reading activity and reading achievement. Reading Research Quarterly, 34, 452-477.

Baker, L., Mackler, K., Sonnenschein, S., & Serpell, R. (2001). Mothers' interactions with their first grade children during storybook reading and relations with reading activity and achievement. Journal of School Psychology, 38(5), 1-24.

Baker, L. (in press). The role of parents in motivating struggling readers. Reading and Writing Quarterly: Overcoming learning difficulties.

Chapters

Baker, L. (1994). Fostering metacognitive development. In H. Reese (Ed.), Advances in child development and behavior, Vol. 25 (pp. 201-239). San Diego: Academic Press.

Baker, L., Serpell, R., & Sonnenschein, S. (1995). Opportunities for literacy learning in the homes of urban preschoolers. In L. M. Morrow (Ed.), Family Literacy: Connections in schools and communities (pp. 236-252). Newark, DE: International Reading Association.

Baker, L., Fernandez-Fein, S., Scher, D., & Williams, H. (1998). Home experiences related to the development of word recognition. In J. Metsala & L. Ehri (Eds.), Word recognition in beginning literacy (pp. 263-288). Mahwah, NJ: Erlbaum.

Baker, L., & Cerro, L. (2000). Assessing metacognition in children and adults. In G. Schraw & J. Impara (Eds.), Issues in the measurement of metacognition (pp. 99-145). Lincoln, NE: Buros Institute of Mental Measurements, University of Nebraska.

Baker, L. (2000). Building the word-level foundation for engaged reading. In L. Baker, M. J. Dreher, & J. T. Guthrie (Eds.), Engaging young readers: Promoting achievement and motivation (pp. 17-42). New York: Guilford.

Baker, L. (2001). Metacognition in comprehension instruction. In C. C. Block & M. Pressley (Eds.), Comprehension instruction: Research-based best practices (pp. 77-95). New York: Guilford.