Education

Ph.D., Georgia State University Atlanta
M.A., University of Michigan Ann Arbor
B.A., Spelman College

Biography

Dr. Nicole A. Taylor is an  associate professor at Spelman College in the Department of Education. Taylor earned her doctorate degree from Georgia State University in Educational Psychology with a concentration in language and literacy. Taylor finds continual joy in being able to return to her alma mater to instruct and mentor students in the Education Studies Program (Early Childhood Education majors, Secondary/P-12 Education majors, Education Studies majors) as they navigate their educational journeys on their way to becoming educational professionals. She is motivated by the Education Studies Program mission statement of cultivating “advocates for diverse learners” as she continually facilitates the learning of her students through innovative and meaningful learning experiences.

The education department's mission is also a driving force for Taylor’s research endeavors as her scholarship centers on the language and literacy acquisition of culturally and ethnically diverse populations. Specifically, Taylor conducts research in the area of family literacy with a focus on family engagement in literacy practices (in the home and at school), and the examination of family literacy programs serving diverse populations (i.e., refugee mothers, low-income families, low-literate adults with young children). Taylor is excited by her research and believes that it is an area that draws attention to populations needing support in navigating literacy norms and expectations of society. She also believe it has important practical implications for teachers and practitioners working with children in schools, adults in adult literacy program, and families in family literacy programs, as literacy is foundational for much of what strive to achieve in life but is impossible to adequately achieve without a proper support system.

Beyond Spelman’s gates, Taylor has been active in the area of family literacy and literacy in general, by presenting several times at the national conference of the premier family literacy organization, the National Center for Families Learning (NCFL), serving as a Humanities Scholar for the Prime Time Family Literacy program, and through assisting a non-profit educational agency with the implementation of a program for struggling readers at the elementary level. Furthermore, Taylor has recently established a partnership with the Salvation Army Ray and Joan Kroc Center, Family Literacy program to conduct research and develop internship and service learning opportunities for students in the Education Studies program. 

Courses Taught

EDU 304 Educational Psychology
EDU 316 Exceptional Learners
EDU 357 Reading: Teaching and Diagnosis
EDU 392 Adult and Family Literacy
EDU 438/441 Senior Thesis I/II

Research Interests

Taylor's scholarship centers around language and literacy within the area of family literacy. Specifically, this includes the acquisition of language and literacy of ethnically and culturally diverse populations, family engagement in literacy practices (in the home and at school), and the examination of family literacy programs serving diverse populations (i.e., refugee mothers, low-income families, low-literate adults).  

Publications

Taylor, N., Greenberg, D., & Terry, N.P. (accepted). Examining the relationships between parents’ literacy skills and their preschool children’s emergent literacy skills. Journal of Research and Practice for Adult Literacy, Secondary, and Basic, Education.

Taylor, N. (2015). Full circle moments: The navigation of an education journey. In M. Zhou (Ed), Supporting multiculturalism and gender diversity in university settings (pp. 24-37). Hershey, PA: IGI Global. 

Taylor, N. (2012) Bringing literacy home [Review of the book Bringing Literacy Home by D. Fisher & K. Dunsmore (Eds.)]. Journal of Research and Practice for Adult Literacy, Secondary, and Basic, Education, 6(1), 59-60.

Taylor, N., Greenberg, D., Laures-Gore, J., & Wise, J. (2011). Exploring the syntactic skills of struggling adult readers. Reading and Writing: An Interdisciplinary Journal, 25(6), 1385-1402.