Study of Language and Math (SLaM)

Deaf children rarely experience typical language exposure in terms of quality and timing; that is, they often receive linguistic input that is less complete at a later point in developmental time compared with their normally hearing peers. We hypothesize that a delay in the acquisition of number words due to insufficient access to language input in may negatively affect deaf children’s numerical cognition (Spaepen, Coppola, et al., 2011), which might compromise basic mathematical abilities (e.g., counting), as well as more advanced mathematical concepts (e.g., word problems). Our Study of Language and Math project (SLAM) investigates the effect of deaf children’s number language on their ability to count, estimate quantities, and understand foundational mathematical principles. The project is supported by an NSF CAREER Award.

Publications:

Quam, M. (g), E. Carrigan, A. Shusterman, K. Walker (pb), and M. Coppola. (2025). Delayed first language exposure negatively impacts representation of small quantities: Evidence from Deaf and Hard-of-Hearing children. Open Mind: Discoveries in Cognitive Science, 9, 1657-1681

Coppola, M. and K. Walker (pb) (2025). Early language access and STEAM Education: Keys to optimal outcomes for Deaf and Hard of Hearing students. Education Sciences 15(7), 915

Carrigan, E. and M. Coppola (2020). Delayed language exposure has a negative impact on receptive vocabulary skills in deaf and hard-of-hearing children despite early use of hearing technology. In M. M. Brown & A. Kohut (Eds.) BUCLD 44: Proceedings of the 44th annual Boston University Conference on Language Development. Somerville: Cascadilla Press.

Walker, K. (pb), E. Carrigan, and M. Coppola. (2023). Early access to language supports number mapping skills in
deaf children. Journal of Deaf Studies and Deaf Education 29(3), 1-18.

Goodwin, C., E. Carrigan, K. Walker (u), and M. Coppola. (2021). Language, not auditory experience, is related to parent-reported executive functioning in preschool-aged deaf and hard-of-hearing children. Child Development 93(1), 209-224. 1-minute video here.

Quam, M. (g) and M. Coppola. (2023). Are measures of nonverbal reasoning truly nonlinguistic? Evidence from deaf, hard-of-hearing, and typically hearing children. In P. Gappmayr & J. Kellogg (Eds.), BUCLD 47: Proceedings of the 47th annual Boston University Conference on Language Development, 618-631.

Papers

Spaepen, E., Coppola, M., Flaherty, M., Spelke, E., Goldin-Meadow, S. (2013). Generating a lexicon without a language model: Do words for number count? Journal of Memory and Language, 69(4), 496-505.

Coppola, M., Spaepen, E., Goldin-Meadow, S. (2013). Communicating about quantity without a language model: Number devices in homesign grammar.  Cognitive Psychology, 67, 1-25.

Spaepen, E., Coppola, M., Spelke, E., Carey, S., and Goldin-Meadow, S. (2011). Number without a language model. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, 108(8): 3163-3168.