Burns, M. Susan

Send email to Dr. Burns

Phone: (703) 993-5343
Fax: (703) 993-4370

M. Susan Burns is a member of the Human Development and Family Science Faculty with appointments in the College of Education and Human Development and the College of Humanities and Social Sciences. She has a secondary appointment in the Early Childhood Education Program.

Her research centers on the development and learning of young children (preschool through Grade 3). Her work includes all children: those with diverse abilities (children with disabilities), those living in poverty, and those from multi-lingual and multi-cultural backgrounds. Of particular interest are young childrens approaches to learning, cognition, and language. Current research includes study of

• prekindergarten, kindergarten, and early elementary childrens writing,
• intentional teaching, including differentiated instruction, and
• effective professional development for adult learners.

Burns, M. S., & Kidd, J. K. (2016). Play and early writing. In D. Couchenour and J. K. Chrisman (Eds.), Encyclopedia of Contemporary Early Childhood Education. Thousand Oaks, CA: SAGE.

McIlwain, M. J., Burns, M. S., & White, C. S. (2016). From Research to Evidence-Based Practice: An Account of the Scientific Implementation of Dialogic Buddy Reading. NHSA Dialog: A Research-to-Practice Journal for the Early Childhood Field, 18, 47-71.

McIlwain, M. J., Burns, M. S., & White, C. S. (2016). The Implementation and Study of Dialogic Buddy Reading in a Head Start Classroom. NHSA Dialog: A Research-to-Practice Journal for the Early Childhood Field, 18, 85-90.

• School of Education
• College of Education and Human Development
• Human Development and Family Science

• Developmental Pathways of Diverse Learners, Birth-Adolescence (ECED 401)
• Developmental Pathways of Diverse Learners, Birth-Adolescence (ECED 501)
• Assessment of Diverse Young Learners (ECED 511)
• Language and Literacy Assessment and Instruction for Diverse Primary Grade Learners (ECED 512)
• Research in Early Childhood Education (ECED 585)
• Applied and Teacher Research in Early Childhood Education (ECED 685)
• Early Writing: Cognition, Language, and Literacy (ECED 702)
• Current Research and Trends in Early Childhood Education (ECED 801)
• Cognition, Language, and Literacy for Diverse Young Learners (ECED 802)
• Special Topics in Education (EDCI 597)
• Capstone Seminar in Early Childhood Education (EDCI 784)
• Education Research (EDRS 590)
• Midpoint Portfolio (EDSE 791)
• Final Portfolio (EDSE 792)
• Ways of Knowing (EDUC 800)
• Independent Study for the Doctor of Philosophy in Education (EDUC 897)
• Doctoral Dissertation Proposal (EDUC 998)
• Doctoral Dissertation Research (EDUC 999)
• Developmental Pathways of Diverse Learners, Birth-Adolescence (EDUT 511)
• Internship in Early Childhood Education (EDUT 790)
• Current Research and Trends in Early Education of Diverse Learners (EDUT 801)
• Personnel Preparation and Professional Development in Early Education of Diverse Learners (EDUT 805)
• Individual and Family Development (HDFS 200)
• Internship and Analysis in Human Development and Family Science (HDFS 498)
• Advanced Internship and Analysis in Human Development and Family Science (HDFS 499)