Willard, Dr. Jessica

• Early education in the family and daycare centre
• Multilingual development
• Digital media and early development

• Feel Your Languages: A Survey of Multilingual Youths' Emotions (www.lifbi.de/Feel-your-languages)

Since 2026: Academic assistant in the SprachFit project

2021 - 2026: Research assistant, Leibniz Institute for Educational Trajectories Bamberg, Department of Early Education, Coordinator of the Leibniz Centre of Excellence for Early Education

2017: Doctorate in Psychology, Ruhr University Bochum, supervisors Prof. Dr Birgit Leyendecker and Prof. Dr Carol Scheffner Hammer

2015- 2021: Research assistant, Ruhr University Bochum, SEIKA-NRW project (language education and development in daycare centres in North Rhine-Westphalia)

2014- 2014: Visiting researcher, Temple University, Philadelphia, Prof. Dr Carol Scheffner Hammer's Lab "Language and Literacy in Diverse Contexts"

2009- 2014: Research assistant, Ruhr University Bochum, Project SIMCUR (Social Integration of Imigrant Children, Uncovering Family and School Factors Promoting Resilience)

2002- 2009: Psychology studies (Diploma), TU Braunschweig

Peer review:

Willard, J. A., Burghardt, L., Kohl, K., & Anders, Y. (2026). Does entering early childhood education as a toddler benefit language and social development until age seven? A propensity score analysis. Applied Developmental Science, 30(1), 88-111. .

Willard, J. A., Möwisch, D., Attig, M., Enke, S., Iken, P., Samdan, G., Then, S., & Weinert, S. (2026). Patterns of infants' digital exposure in disadvantaged neighbourhoods: Links to the family environment and toddler-age language. Developmental Psychology. Advance online publication. .

Kohl, K., Bihler, L.-M., Agache, A., Leyendecker, B., & Willard, J. A. (2022). Do peers matter? Peer effects on young children's vocabulary gains in German classrooms. Journal of Educational Psychology, 114(1), 161-176. .

Willard, J. A., Leyendecker, B., Kohl, K., Bihler, L.-M., & Agache, A. (2022). Does variation in early childhood education matter more for dual language learners' than for monolingual children's language development? Applied Developmental Science, 26(4), 704-725. .

Bihler, L.-M., Agache, A., Willard, J. A., & Leyendecker, B. (2021). Language education and development in day-care centres in North Rhine-Westphalia - longitudinal study (SEIKA-NRW LS) (version 1) [dataset].

Willard, J. A., Agache, A., Kohl, K., Bihler, L.-M., & Leyendecker, B. (2021). Longitudinal interrelations between nonword repetition and vocabulary from age three to five: Evidence for within-child processes? Developmental Psychology, 57(9), 1423-1438. .

Willard, J. A., Kohl, K., Bihler, L.-M., Agache, A., & Leyendecker, B. (2021). Family literacy activities and their interplay with family and preschool language environments: Links to gains in dual language learners' German vocabulary. Early Education and Development, 32(2), 189-208. .

Agache, A., Bihler, L.-M., Willard, J. A., & Leyendecker, B. (2020). Sprachbildung und -entwicklung im Kita-Alltag in Nordrhein-Westfalen (SEIKA-NRW) (Version 1) [Dataset].

Kohl, K., Bihler, L.-M., Willard, J. A., Agache, A., & Leyendecker, B. (2019). Linking quantity and quality of early childhood education and care to children's socio-emotional adjustment: A German cross-sectional study. Early Education and Development, 31(2), 177-199. .

Kohl, K., Willard, J. A., Agache, A., Bihler, L.-M., & Leyendecker, B. (2019). Classroom quality, classroom composition, and age at entry: Experiences in early childhood education and care and single and dual language learners' German vocabulary. AERA Open, 5(1), 1-16. .

Willard, J. A., Agache, A., & Leyendecker, B. (2019). Classroom composition, classroom quality and German skills of very young dual language learners and German-only learners. Early Childhood Research Quarterly, 49(4), 269-281. .

Bihler, L.-M., Agache, A., Schneller, K., Willard, J. A., & Leyendecker, B. (2018). Expressive morphological skills of dual language learning and monolingual German children: Exploring links to duration of preschool attendance, classroom quality, and classroom composition. Frontiers in Psychology, 9, Article 888. .

Willard, J. A., Agache, A., Jäkel, J., Glück, C. W., & Leyendecker, B. (2015). Family factors predicting vocabulary in Turkish as a heritage language. Applied Psycholinguistics, 36(4), 875-898.

Lectures and symposia (selection)

Möwisch, D., Willard, J. A., & Weinert, S. (17 March 2026). Some like to learn, some like to play: Children's app preferences, longitudinal digital media use, and language and science competence [Presentation]. 13th Congress of the Gesellschaft für Empirische Bildungsforschung (GEBF) - Bildungsforschung für technologiebedingte gesellschaftliche Entwicklungen. TU Munich, Munich, Germany.

Ertanir, B., Sahbaz, S., Kassis, W., Aksoy, D., Favre, C. A., Willard, J. A., Troesch, L., Makarova, E., & Schwartz, S. (2025, August 19 - 21). Context counts: Cross-national validation of the German short-form negative context of reception scale and its psychosocial correlates [Presentation]. 5th Cultural Diversity, Migration, and Education Conference, Potsdam, Germany.

Willard, J. A. (6 November 2025). Early education works! Effects of daycare centre quality and childcare volume on language development. [Transfer event]. Leibniz im Bayerischen Landtag, Munich, Germany.

Willard, J. A., Attig, M., & Wolter, I. (2025, September 1 - 3). Self-regulation in childhood - Age differences, family influences, and links to language [Symposium]. 26. Specialist Group Conference on Developmental Psychology, Justus Liebig University Giessen, Giessen, Germany.

Attig, M., & Willard, J. A. (2025, January 27 - 29). Facets of early self-regulation: Valid assessment, short- and long-term dynamics and links to social development [Symposium]. 12th Conference of the Society for Empirical Educational Research (GEBF), Mannheim, Germany.

Möwisch, D., Willard, J. A., & Attig, M. (27 - 29 January 2025). Media expert at 7 months: Which usage profiles with digital media are evident in infants and what do they mean for their language development? [Presentation]. 12. Conference of the Society for Empirical Educational Research (GEBF), Mannheim, Germany.

Möwisch, D., Willard, J. A., Attig, M., & Weinert, S. (2025, September 8 - 10). Patterns of infants' digital ecology and toddler-age language: Evidence from the longitudinal BRISE-study [Presentation]. Society for Longitudinal and Lifecourse Studies (SLLS) Annual International Conference - Life course transitions and patterns: Stronger evidence for better policies, Fribourg, Switzerland.

Willard, J. A. (20 May 2025). Early entry to daycare: Does longer kindergarten strengthen language, social or other skills? [Transfer event]. Leibniz im Bayerischen Landtag, Munich, Germany.

Willard, J. A., Attig, M., & Weinert, S. (2025, September 1-3). Effects of specific parenting behaviours from the very beginning? The interplay of early parenting and child characteristics for preschool executive functions [Symposium paper]. 26th Specialised Group Conference on Developmental Psychology, Giessen, Germany.

Willard, J. A., & Attig, M. (15 - 19 September 2024). Conditions of early language competence in monolingual and multilingual children: Current research from the Leibniz Centre of Excellence in Early Education [Symposium]. 53rd DGPs Congress/15th ÖGP Conference, University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria.

Smith, J., Willard, J. A., & Hammer, C. S. (2024, July 15 - 19). Examining variability in the oral language and early literacy trajectories of U.S. DLLs [Symposium paper]. XVIth International Congress for the Study of Child Language (IASCL), Prague, Czechia.

Willard, J. A., Ertanir, B., Kaya, M., Kololli, L., & Troesch, L. (2024, July 15 - 19). Linking multilingual adolescents' language-related emotions to individual and contextual correlates [Symposium contribution]. XVIth International Congress for the Study of Child Language (IASCL), Prague, Czechia.

Willard, J. A., Topaj, N., & Gagarina, N. (2024, July 15 - 19). How do Turkish- and Russian-German speaking preschoolers develop strong bilingual vocabulary? [Symposium contribution]. XVIth International Congress for the Study of Child Language (IASCL), Prague, Czechia.

Willard, J. A. (2024, July 15 - 19). Bilingual language development in varying contexts: Insights from longitudinal studies [Symposium]. XVIth International Congress for the Study of Child Language (IASCL), Faculty of Arts, Charles University Prague, Prague, Czechia.

Willard, J. A. (2024, July 15 - 19). Let's talk about feelings: Multilinguals' language-related emotions and well-being [Symposium]. XVIth International Congress for the Study of Child Language (IASCL), Faculty of Arts, Charles University Prague, Prague, Czechia.

Willard, J. A., Topaj, N., Möwisch, D., & Gagarina, N. (16 - 19 September 2024). Developing strong bilingual vocabulary knowledge at kindergarten age: What internal and external factors make it possible? [Symposium contribution]. 53. DGPs Congress/15th ÖGP Conference, Vienna, Austria.

Volodina, A., & Willard, J. A. (2023, October 9 - 11). Cognitive abilities, socioeconomic status, or both? Comparing their effects on pre-schoolers' language, mathematical, and science skills [Symposium paper]. Society for Longitudinal and Lifecourse Studies (SLLS) Annual International Conference: Life courses in times of uncertainty, Munich, Germany.

Willard, J. A. (2023, September 12). Growing up with two languages [Transfer event]. Leibniz Book a Scientist, Berlin, Germany.

Willard, J. A., Volodina, A., & Attig, M. (28 February - 2 March 2023). Early childhood temperament and socioemotional adjustment in preschoolers: Evidence for diathesis-stress or differential susceptibility? [Symposium contribution]. 10. Conference of the Society for Empirical Educational Research (GEBF), Essen, Germany.

Willard, J. A., Volodina, A., & Attig, M. (3-5 September 2023). Interactions between early negative affectiveness and positive parenting behaviour: Evidence for differential susceptibility effects up to the age of seven? [Symposium contribution]. 25. Specialist Group Conference on Developmental Psychology - EPSY, Berlin, Germany.

Willard, J. A., & Reinelt, T. (3 - 5 September 2023). Recent developments in temperament research [Symposium]. 25. Specialist Group Conference on Developmental Psychology, Harnack House, Berlin, Germany.

Willard, J. A. (25 - 26 November 2022). The relationship between maternal language use and children's German receptive vocabulary in fixed effects models [Symposium paper]. Interdisciplinary conference on language development disorders (ISES 12), Marburg, Germany.

Willard, J. A., Burghardt, L., & Kohl, K. (9 - 11 March 2022). Early day care entry and socio-emotional adjustment - A propensity score analysis [Symposium paper]. 9. Conference of the Society for Empirical Educational Research (GEBF), Bamberg, Germany.

Willard, J. A., & Attig, M. (9 - 11 March 2022). Education from the beginning: Processes in family and institutional learning environments and (early) child development [Symposium]. 9. Conference of the Society for Empirical Educational Research (GEBF), Otto-Friedrich-University Bamberg; Leibniz Institute for Educational Trajectories, Berlin, Germany.

Institute of Psychology