Julie Spielberger is a research fellow at Chapin Hall with expertise in child development and early childhood education, with particular interest in emergent literacy, school readiness, the role of play in children's learning and development, and improving program quality and professional development. She is principal investigator for an 8-year longitudinal study of patterns of service utilization and their relationship to family functioning and child development, particularly as they pertain to school readiness and school success. She also serves as principal investigator for research on two initiatives to improve the quality of early childhood and after-school programs. Her other work includes an evaluation of a school-based behavioral health initiative designed to provide early detection and prevention assistance to children in need of social, emotional, or behavioral health services, research on children's literacy development in after-school programs, and a national evaluation of an initiative to strengthen youth leadership, services, and community partnerships in public libraries in low-income areas. Prior to joining Chapin Hall, Dr. Spielberger worked extensively in the training of Head Start teachers and as a researcher and consultant with Head Start family literacy programs. She has taught at Harold Washington College, Loyola University Chicago, the Erikson Institute, and the University of Chicago. She also managed consumer research for Playskool Toys, Inc. She received a Ph.D. in Child Development from the Erikson Institute, Loyola University Chicago, and an M.S.T. in Early Childhood Education from the University of Chicago.