Dr. Erin Flynn

Biography

Erin Flynn is an Associate Professor in the Department of Educational Studies at the Marsal Family School of Education, University of Michigan. Her research focuses on the emergence of storytelling in early childhood education, particularly how children leverage their home and community language experiences in the classroom. She has previously served as an Associate Professor of Child, Youth, & Family Studies at Portland State University. Flynn's work aims to disrupt the dominant discourse surrounding economically marginalized children's readiness for high-level learning in kindergarten. By drawing on socio-critical linguistics and combining various theoretical frameworks, including Systemic Functional Linguistics and translanguaging, she analyzes the diverse linguistic patterns that children use to narrate their experiences. Flynn's published research includes articles in esteemed journals such as Reading Research Quarterly, Linguistics Education, and Language Society. In addition to her teaching and research, Flynn has served as an advisor for WGBH Education, focusing on storytelling and computational literacy. Her efforts extend to advocacy work aimed at equity in early childhood education, including initiatives to eliminate preschool suspension and expulsion, and to create inclusive professional development for early childhood educators.

Research Interests