Janette Pelletier

Biography

She is working as professor in the Department of Applied Psychology and Human Development at the University of Toronto, Canada. Dr. Pelletier teaches graduate courses in the MA program in Child Study and Education, geared to professional preparation of educators. She also teaches M.A., M.Ed. and PhD courses in Developmental Psychology and Education, geared to understanding early child development and applications to learning. Her specialty course is: APD1211: Psychological Foundations of Early Development and Education. An online section of this course is offered during the summer session in July/August. She is working as professor in the Department of Applied Psychology and Human Development at the University of Toronto, Canada. Dr. Pelletier teaches graduate courses in the MA program in Child Study and Education, geared to professional preparation of educators. She also teaches M.A., M.Ed. and PhD courses in Developmental Psychology and Education, geared to understanding early child development and applications to learning. Her specialty course is: APD1211: Psychological Foundations of Early Development and Education. An online section of this course is offered during the summer session in July/August.

Research Interest

Dr. Pelletier's research interests are in the area of early child development and education. She is carrying out a longitudinal study on the impact of of full-day kindergarten on parents, on children and on staff teams. This work builds on her earlier research on integrated early childhood services in the Toronto First Duty project. A related research area is the role of parent involvement and family literacy in children's learning in kindergarten and primary classes. Specific research in cognitive development concerns young children's developing theory of mind and their growing awareness of print communication through writing and drawing. Graduate students working with Dr. Pelletier are engaged in coding children's drawings as they move from junior kindergarten to Grade 6, examining themes, human figures and complexity. Other students are writing about relationships among educator teams, children, parents and communities. Data provide opportunity for students to consider predictors of later school performance based on demographic factors, language status, early challenges and kindergarten program type.