Angélique Laurent

Angélique Laurent is an Associate Professor in the Faculty of Education at the Université de Sherbrooke, Canada, specializing in child development and language acquisition. Her research focuses on school readiness, early childhood education, and the social adaptation of vulnerable children. She leads multiple research projects examining the impact of family environment, teacher-child interactions, and educational practices on children's development during preschool and kindergarten transitions.

Education:

• Doctorate in Psychology (2007) - University of Toulouse II
• Diplôme d'Études Approfondies (DEA) in Cognitive Psychology Processes (2004) - University of Toulouse II
• Master's in Psychology with thesis (2003) - University of Toulouse II
• Licence in Educational Sciences (2001) - University of Toulouse II
• Licence in Psychology (2000) - University of Toulouse II
• Diplôme d'Études Universitaires Générales (DEUG) in Psychology (1999) - University of Toulouse II
• Postdoctoral research at University of Alberta
• Postdoctoral research at University of Toulouse II

Dr. Laurent's research interests center on child development, particularly focusing on language acquisition in social contexts, school readiness, and the transition to kindergarten. She investigates the development of global skills in vulnerable children, with specific attention to oral language acquisition, early literacy and numeracy skills, and the quality of interactions in preschool education. Her work explores the relationship between gestures and language, examining how non-verbal communication supports language development in young children.

Her recent publications reveal a strong focus on gender differences in child development, examining how boys and girls respond differently to educational practices and environmental factors. Much of her work investigates the family environment's impact on children's school readiness, particularly looking at cumulative sociodemographic risk factors and home literacy practices. She has increasingly incorporated studies on digital media's effects on early childhood development, with several publications examining screen time during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Dr. Laurent has secured numerous research grants totaling over $1.5 million from major funding agencies including the Fonds de recherche du Québec - Société et culture (FRQSC), the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada (CRSH), and the Ministry of Education of Quebec. She serves as Principal Investigator and Co-investigator on projects examining behavioral difficulties in children, school readiness in vulnerable populations, and teacher training interventions. She leads the GRISE (Groupe de recherche et d'intervention sur les adaptations sociales de l'enfance) research group at the Université de Sherbrooke.

As an educator, Dr. Laurent teaches courses on child development (from birth to 7 years), risk characteristics in students, educational psychology, and intervention projects with young students. She has supervised numerous graduate students through thesis committees and professional projects, contributing to the training of future educators and researchers in early childhood development.