Emily J. Solari is assistant professor of education. Her research focuses on language and literacy development in both Spanish-speaking English learners and students considered at-risk for reading failure.

Education

Ph.D., University of California, Santa Barbara, 2006. Education.
Special Education, Disabilities and Risk Studies Emphasis
Interdisciplinary Cognitive Science and Human Development Emphasis

M.A., University of California, Santa Barbara, 2003. Education.
Special Education, Disabilities & Risk Studies Emphasis

B.A., University of California 2001. Global Studies.
Political and Economics Emphasis
Spanish Minor

Professional and Research Expertise

August 2007-2011

Assistant Professor, University of Texas Health Science Center Houston
Children’s Learning Institute
Division of Developmental Pediatrics

September 2006-August 2007

Post Doctoral Research Fellow, Lehigh University
Center for Promoting Research to Practice
Department of School Psychology

September 2006-August 2007

Adjunct Faculty, Lehigh University
Department of Special Education

September 2005

Adjunct Instructor, California State University, Channel Islands
Department of Special Education

September 2004-June 2006

Project Coordinator, University of California, Santa Barbara
Center for Advanced Studies of Individual Differences
Institute for Social Behavioral and Economic Research
Project La Patera
PI: Michael Gerber

September 2003-June 2006

Adjunct Instructor, University of California, Santa Barbara
Gevirtz Graduate School of Education
Teacher Education Program

September 2003-September 2004

Research Assistant, University of California, Santa Barbara
Center for Advanced Studies of Individual Differences
Institute for Social Behavioral and Economic Research

September 2003-September 2005

Behavioral Consultant and Analyst
Holdsambeck and Associates
Santa Barbara County School District
Goleta Valley School District

January 2003- January 2004

Research Assistant, University of California, Riverside Reading Risk Assessment Project, PI: Lee Swanson

Publications

Journal Articles

Anthony, J. L., Aghara, R. G., Solari, E. J., Dunkelberger, M. J., & Williams, J. M. (2010) Quantifying phonological representation abilities in Spanish speaking preschool children. Applied Psycholinguistics.

Denton, C., Solari, E.J., Ciancio, D., Hecht, S., Swank, P.R. (2010) An Evaluation of Kindergarten Summer School Reading Program in High Poverty Urban Schools. Elementary School Journal. 110, 423-439.

Anthony, J.L., Solari, E.J., Branum-Martin, L., Williams, J. (2009) The relationship between alphabet knowledge, vocabulary and phonological awareness in Spanish-speaking preschool English language learners. Scientific Studies of Reading, 13, 535-564.

Solari, E. J. & Gerber, M.M. (2008) Early Comprehension Development of Spanish-speaking English Language Learners. Learning Disabilities Research and Practice, 23, 155-168.

Shapiro, E., Solari, E.J. Petscher, Y. (2008) Use of a Measure of Reading Comprehension to Enhance Prediction on the State High Stakes Assessment. Journal of Learning and Individual Differences, 18, 316-328.

Swanson, H.L., Rosko, K. Solari, E.J., Gerber, M.M (2007) Influence of oral language and phonological awareness on children’s bilingual reading. Journal of School Psychology 45, 361-376.

Gerber, M. M., & Solari, E. J. (2005). Teaching effort and the future of cognitive-behavior interventions. Behavior Disorders, 30, 289-299.

Chapters in Books

Landry S., Solari, E.J., Zucker, T.A., Crawford, A., Williams, J. (2011). History, Scale-Up and Improvements of a Comprehensive, Statewide Professional Development Program in Texas. In Pianta (Ed) Scale-up of Early Childhood Programs, Brookes Publishing, Inc.
NY, NY.

Solari, E.J., Landry, S., Zucker, T.A., Crawford, A. (2011) The importance of sensitive measurement tools for understanding what instructional practices promote schoolreadiness for dual language learners. In Pianta, R (Ed.) Investigating the Classroom Experiences of Young Dual Language Learners. Brookes Publishing, Inc.. NY, NY.

Gerber, M. M, Solari, E. J., (2008) Future Challenges to Cognitive-Behavioral Interventions in practice and policy. In M. J. Mayer, R. Van Acker, J. E. Lochman, & F. M. Gresham, (Eds.), Cognitive Behavioral Interventions for Students with Emotional/Behavioral Disorders. NY, NY: Guildford Press.

Encyclopedia Entries

Fritshmann, N., Solari, E.J. ,Deschler, D. (2007) The Current State of Learning Disabilities in Schools. In Salkind, N. (Ed.) Encyclopedia of Educational Psychology. Sage Reference Publications.

Manuscripts Currently Under Review

Landry S., Smith, K., Solari, E.J., Zucker, T.A., Swank, R., Crawford, A. The Effects of a Responstive Parenting Intervention on Parent-Child Interactions During Shared Book Reading. Paper submitted to Developmental Psychology.

Solari, E., Zucker, T.A., The Impact of Professional Development and Mentoring on Teaching Quality in Pre-kindergarten Programs that Serve English Language Learners. Paper submitted to Early Childhood Research Quarterly

Solari, E.J., Aceves, T., Higaredo, I., Filippini, A., Richards, C.A., Gerber, M.M. Longitudinal Prediction of 1st and 2nd Grade English Oral Reading Fluency in English Learners. Paper submitted to Psychology in the Schools.

Zucker, T.A, Solari, E.J., Landry, S., Swank, P. Early Language Intervention for Pre-Kindergarteners at Risk: A Tier 1 and Tier 2 Response to Intervention Pilot Study. Paper Submitted to Early Childhood Development and Education.

Jimenez, T., Solari, E.J. Branum-Martin, L., Higardeo, I., Gerber, M.M., Richards, C.A., Filippini, Al. The Relationship between Family Language and Literacy Practices and Early Literacy Skills in Spanish-Speaking English Learners. Paper submitted to Early Childhood Research Quarterly

Richards C.A., Solari, E.J., Leadstedt, J., Gerber, M.M., Filippini, A. Defining response and non-response for within a Response to Intervention Model with English language learners: Models for determining response and characteristics of students. Paper submitted to Assessment for Effective Intervention

Denney, M., Aceves, T., Solari, E.J., Gerber, M.M. Latino Parents’ Home Literacy Practices and Aspirations for Preliterate English Learners. Paper submitted to Journal of Bilingual Education

Presentations at Professional Meetings

Peer Reviewed

Solari, E.J., Zucker, T.A., Cabell, S. (2011) Name writing development in Pre-K Spanish-speaking English Language Learners. Paper presented at Pacfic Coast Research Conference.

Landry, S.L., Solari, E.J. (2010) Supporting the Development and Well-Being of Young Children of Farmworkers: Emerging Findings From Three Migrant and Seasonal Head Start Studies. Paper presented at the National Head Start Research Conference.

Gischlar, K., Solari, E.J. (2008) Emergent Literacy: Monitoring the Progress of Preschool Students. Spoken Paper at the Council for Exceptional Children’s Annual Conference. Boston, MA

Solari, E.J., Jimenez, T. (2008) The Relationship between Family Language and Literacy Practices and Early Literacy Skills in Spanish Speaking English Learners. Spoken Paperat the American Education Research Association. New York, NY

Gerber, M.M., Solari, E.J., Richards, C., Jimenez, T., Filippini, A. (2008). Models of Reading Risks: A longitudinal study of Spanish-speaking English language learners. Panel presentation at the Annual Pacific Coast Research Conference. Coronado, CA.

Anthony, J. L., Solari, E.J. (2008) Preschool English Language Learners: The Crosslinguistic Relationship between Vocabulary and Letter Knowledge on Phonological Awareness. Spoken Paper at Linguistic Minority Research Institute Annual Biliteracy Conference. Santa Barbara, CA

Solari, E.J., Gunnewig, S. (2007) What preschool classrooms for English Language Learners should look like. Spoken Paper at the Annual PASA, Dallas, TX

Solari, E.J. (2007) Early Literacy Instruction for Spanish-speaking English Language Learners: A Comparison of Three Treatment Conditions. Spoken Paper at Linguistic Minority Research Institute Annual Meeting, Tempe, AZ

Solari, E. J. (2007). Listening Comprehension in Spanish-speaking English Language Learners. Spoken Paper at American Education Research mAssociation Annual Conference. Chicago, IL

Solari, E. J. (2007). Comprehension Development of Spanish-speaking English Language Learners. Interactive Paper Presentation at the Pacific Coast Research Conference, Coronado, CA

Solari, E. J., Matera, C. (2007) Early Literacy Interventions for Spanish-speaking English Language Learners. Spoken Paper at Linguistic Minority Research Institute Annual Biliteracy Meeting, Santa Barbara, CA

Solari, E. J., Gerber, M. M., Swanson, H.L. (2005) English Language Learners’ Spelling: Analyses of Memory Processes and Phonological Awareness on Two Spelling Measures. Spoken Paper at the American Education Research Association annual meeting, Montreal, Canada.

Solari, E. J., Gerber, M.M., Swanson, H.L. (2005) Spelling development of young English learners’: the role of alphabet knowledge, phonological awareness and working memory. Interactive paper presentation at annual June meeting of the Society for the Scientific Studies of Reading, Toronto, Ontario

Filippini, A., Gerber, M., Solari, E. J. (2005) Relationships between EL Performance on Kindergarten and Third Grade Reading Measures. Interactive paper presentation at annual June meeting of the Society for the Scientific Study of Reading, Toronto, Ontario.

Jiménez, T., Solari, E. J., Salamanca, I. & Filippini, A. (2004) Investigating Family Literacy Practices & Early Reading Development with English Learners. Panel presentation at the Linguistic Minority Research Institute annual May meeting, Santa Barbara, California.

Richards, C., Gerber M.M., Solari, E. J., (2004) Assessing the spelling ability of English learners: An analysis of two spelling measures and their relationship to phonological awareness measures. Interactive paper presentation at annual June meeting of the Society for the Scientific Study of Reading, Amersterdam, The Netherlands.

Invited Presentations

Solari, E.J., Developing Text Level Literacy Skills in Beginning Readers. presentation at Council for Exceptional Children, Division of Learning Disabilities, Bridging the Gap between Research and Practice, Baltimore, MD

Gerber, M. M., Solari, E.J., Filippini, A., Matera, C. (2006). Response to Intervention for Young English Learners. Panel presentation at Council for Exceptional Children, Division of Learning Disabilities, Bridging the Gap between Research and Practice, San Francisco, CA

Grant Support

Current

2011- 2014 Co- Principal Investigator (3,619,000), FTE 30% Institute for Education Sciences “Testing an Integrated Preschool Curriculum for English Language Learners”

2008-2013 Principal Investigator ($4,300,000), FTE 25%
Texas Education Agency Texas Pre-Kindergarten Limited English Proficiency Program Principal Investigator

2008-2011 Co-Principal Investigator (S. Landry) ($650,000), FTE 25%
Department of Health and Human Services Effective Professional Development for Migrant Head Start Teachers

2010-2013 Co-Principal Investigator (C. Denton, PI) ($1,616,704), FTE 25% Institute for Education Sciences “First Grade Super-Readers”: Intervention for the Prevention of Reading Comprehension and Decoding Difficulties in Young Children

2010-2013 Co-Principal Investigator (D. Ciancio) ($1,500,000), FTE 35%
Institute for Education Sciences “Development of Development of Integrated Text Level Curricula for Kindergarten Through Second Grade Students”

Proposals Currently Under Review

2011-2014
Principal Investigator ($1,500,000), FTE 40%
Institute of Education Sciences “Early Reading Intervention for English Learners (ERIEL)”

Past Grant Support

2006 University of California Linguistic Minority Research Institute
Dissertation Grant: Early Comprehension Instruction for Spanish-speaking
English learners: A Comparison of Three Treatment Conditions ($15,000)

2005 University of California, Santa Barbara
Gervitz Graduate School of Education Block Grant ($5,000)
Listening Comprehension vs Phonological Awareness Instruction for
Kindergarten Spanish-speaking English learners

Editorial Activity

• Editorial Board: Assessment for Effective Interventions, 2007- present
• Invited Guest Editor: Journal of Learning Disabilities

National Review Panels

• Member, Scientific Review Panel, Early Learning Programs and Policies, Institute of Educational Sciences, 2009- present
• Peer Review Panel. Division C: Teaching and Learning, 2007 American Educational Research Association Annual Meeting, Chicago, IL
• Peer Review Panel, Council for Exceptional Children, 2007 Annual Meeting, Louisville, KY

State Grant Panels and Committees

• Member, MAPA Advisory Committee, Texas Education Agency 2011-2013
• Member, Building Bridges Steering Committee, Texas Education Agency, 2010
• Texas Pre-Kindergarten Guidelines Committee, Texas Education Agency, 2008

Professional Affiliations

• Society for the Scientific Study of Reading
• American Educational Research Association, Special Education SIG
• Council for Exception Children- Division of Learning Disabilities, Division of Research