Katie Richards is a senior research analyst at Child Trends in the early childhood division. She received her bachelor’s degree in psychology from the University of Minnesota and her Master’s degree in cognitive psychology from the University of Delaware. As a graduate student, Katie supported research examining children’s use of language across cultures and development of pragmatic skills in language. Her thesis focused on the impact of visual and auditory labels on visual search. After graduate school, Katie become a data analyst for College Possible, where she focused heavily on data management and the Catalyze college program, and then for Think Small, where she improved the reporting capabilities of the development and policy teams. At both organizations she developed a love for applied research and a passion for addressing the educational inequity in this country. Katie’s main research interests are cognitive development and kindergarten readiness.