President’s listening tour stops at Children’s Learning Institute
[As seen in The Insider (external link), May 7, 2026]
(Photo by UTHealth Houston)
President Melina R. Kibbe, MD, continued her listening tour with a visit to the Children’s Learning Institute May 4, spending time with faculty and leadership to learn more about the institute’s impact on early education research, clinical care, and community partnerships.
“There is a clear sense of purpose behind the work at the Children’s Learning Institute,” Kibbe said. “It’s a coordinated effort spanning research, education, clinical care and policy, all focused on improving outcomes for children and families.”
Kibbe began her visit with an overview of the institute’s mission to advance learning and health outcomes for all children, meeting with co-directors April Crawford, PhD, and Tricia Zucker, PhD, to discuss priorities, partnerships, and opportunities for growth.
Focus on collaboration
Throughout the visit, collaboration emerged as a central theme as institute leaders highlighted how partnerships drive both research and real-world impact.
“Our focus is on learning,” said Zucker, professor of pediatrics at McGovern Medical School, Albert and Margaret Alkek Distinguished Chair in Early Childhood Development, and Harriet and Joe Foster Distinguished Professor. “We collaborate with leading national and international researchers and practitioners to advance research-practice partnerships spanning from infancy through elementary grades.”
The institute’s work is guided by five core characteristics: passion for all children, pioneering, continuous improvement, respect, and collaboration, which are values that shape both its research and its statewide initiatives.
“As the Texas State Center for Early Childhood Development, our long-term partnerships have enabled CLI to scale evidence-based resources to thousands of early education programs, teachers, and families for more than 20 years,” said Crawford, professor of pediatrics at McGovern Medical School at UTHealth Houston, Meg and Dick Weekley Distinguished Chair in Childhood Reading and Learning, and Michael Matthew Knight Memorial Professor in Pediatrics.
The emphasis on long-standing partnerships carried through the conversation, as Kibbe commented on the institute’s collaborative approach.
Advancing early literacy
Kibbe also heard from faculty Michael Mesa, PhD, assistant professor, and Yusra Ahmed, PhD, associate professor, about the institute’s work in early literacy, including the Accelerated Early Reading Outcomes program and ongoing efforts to address reading challenges at an early age.
They shared an up-close look at Circle Decodables (external link)—free digital and print books designed to support reading development for children in kindergarten through fifth grade, available in English.
Clinical care and community impact
As part of the visit, Kibbe also toured the UT Physicians Dan L Duncan Children’s Neurodevelopmental Clinic, where she met with clinicians and staff providing multidisciplinary care for children with complex developmental, behavioral, and learning differences.
Clinic leaders Gabriel Anzueto, MD, the clinic’s medical director, and Michael Assel, PhD, the clinic’s director of psychological services, shared how demand for services continues to grow, reflecting both the clinic’s reputation and the increasing need for specialized pediatric care.
Anzueto is an assistant professor at McGovern Medical School and Raghuthaman Family Professor in Pediatric Neurology and Developmental and Behavioral Pediatrics. Assel serves as professor at the medical school and Harriet and Joe Foster Chair in Cognitive Neuroscience.
“We’re just at the beginning of what we can do,” Assel said. “We continue to strive to expand the clinic’s reach and meet the needs of the community by providing comprehensive evaluations in a multidisciplinary setting. Our families and the broader community benefit from our recently released suite of online resources providing up-to-date, evidence-based information on common childhood disorders.”
While at the clinic, Kibbe also learned about their free family toolkit, “Resources for Children with Learning and Developmental Differences,” (external link) which provides accessible, evidence-based guidance for families navigating ADHD, autism spectrum disorder, and reading difficulties/dyslexia. Additional content is planned in the coming months on mood disorders, language disorders, and intellectual disabilities.
Expanding reach across Texas
The visit concluded with a discussion of the institute’s statewide impact, driven in part by its free, technology-enabled resources and commitment to accessibility.
Over the past decade, the number of children served annually through the institute’s programs has grown significantly—from 44,000 in 2014 to more than 650,000 today—supported by the widespread adoption of the CLI Engage platform (external link).
In addition, the institute supports more than 120,000 early education professionals through workforce development initiatives, helping strengthen the pipeline of educators and expand the use of evidence-based practices across the state.
“This is a team that is deeply committed to the next generation,” Kibbe added. “You see it in the research, the clinical care, and the partnerships that extend across Texas. The focus is on reaching more children and families and continuing to build on that impact.”
Kibbe’s visit highlighted the institute’s role as a leader in early childhood development and its commitment to improving outcomes for children, families, and communities across Texas.