Dr. Cathy Onying HUNG | [DEV] Tung Wah University of Hong Kong

Outstanding Research Award, Yew Chung College of Early Childhood Education, 2023-2024
Award for Outstanding Academic Papers by Students, City University of Hong Kong, 2011
Li & Fung Scholarship, 2009

Literacy Acquisition
Early Mathematics,
Nature-based Education
Research Methods, Capstone Supervision

Early Childhood Education
Literacy and Language Development
Comprehension Process
Educare for Infants and Toddlers
Adult-child Interaction

Examining the contributions of parental language input quality to young children’s executive function, oral language skills and listening comprehension development: A longitudinal study. Faculty Development Scheme (FDS), University Grants Committee, Hong Kong SAR. HK$803,849, 2023-2024. PI
Re-building Project of HKSPC Children Residential Home in 9 months (in affiliation with YCCECE), HK$21,000,000, 2022. co-PI
Jockey Club ‘Bright Start’ Project Phase 1 (in affiliation with YCCECE), Hong Kong Jockey Club Charities Trust. HK$67,000,000, 2021-2024. co-PI
Early Childhood Education Quality Framework and Standards in China: A Pilot Study in Shenzhen and Jiangsu (in affiliation with YCCECE). Research Matching Grant, University Grants Committee, Hong Kong SAR. HK$4,000,000, 2021-2022. co-PI
Executive function and Chinese word reading among Chinese as a second language learners and native students, General Research Fund (GRF), University Grants Committee. HK$425,956, 2019-2021. Co-I
A study on the challenges faced by mainstream primary schools in teaching ethnic minority students in Hong Kong, Equal Opportunities Commission. HK$506,080, 2018. Co-I
Replication of priming addition facts with semantic relations, Open Science Framework. HK$9000, 2013-2015. PI
Age-related changes in executive functions and Chinese text comprehension among Hong Kong primary school children, Faculty Research Fund. HK$3000, 2014. PI
Evaluation of the “Story telling activities” in enhancing low SES students’ reading interests and developing parent volunteers’ story telling ability, Bring Me a Book Foundation. HK$50,000, 2014. Co-I

Hung, C.O.Y., Cai, M. G., & Liao, X.* (2025). Contribution of executive function in different levels of reading comprehension. Journal of Research in Reading. 48(4), 335-354. DOI: 10.1111/1467-9817.70011 [SSCI; IF = 2]
Hung, C.O.Y.*, Lin, D., & Lo, S. W. (2025). Exploring parents’ utterances during free play in Hong Kong: The associations with language complexity and lexical diversity. Early Childhood Education Journal. DOI: 10.1007/s10643-024-01848-w [SSCI; IF = 2.5]
Tse, K. P. & Hung, O.Y. (2025). Jockey Club Bright Start Project Parent Resources Kit Book 1: Parent-child Interaction Strategies (親子互動策略). Jockey Club Charities Trust
Tse, K. P. & Hung, O.Y. (2025). Jockey Club Bright Start Project Parent Resources Kit Book 2:Nurturing Children of Different Temperaments (教養不同性情的嬰幼兒). Jockey Club Charities Trust
Tse, K. P. & Hung, O.Y. (2025). Jockey Club Bright Start Project Parent Resources Kit Book 3:Parent-child Interactive Games (親子互動遊戲). Jockey Club Charities Trust
Hung, C.O.Y.*, Zhang, Y., Wen, R., Zhang, D.D., Han, H., Pan, R., Shi, P., Yuen, A.H.K. (2024). Development and Validation of the Chinese Kindergarten Quality Rating Scale (CKQRS): A study based in Guangdong and Jiangsu provinces. Children and Youth Services Review. DOI:10.1016/j.childyouth.2024.107522 [SSCI; IF = 3.3]
Liao, X., Cai, M. G., & Hung, C.O.Y.* (2023). Role of Executive Function in Lexical ProcessingDuring Reading Comprehension. Reading Research Quarterly. 58(4), 755-767. DOI:10.1002/rrq.514 [SSCI; IF = 4.2]
To-Chan, S.P.T., Loh, E.K.Y.*, & Hung, C.O.Y. (2023). A longitudinal study of Chinese as asecond language kindergarteners’ orthographic awareness and its association with their lexical learning performance. Current Psychology. 42, 4543–4554. DOI: 10.1007/s12144-021-01797-2 [SSCI; IF = 2.8]
Wen, R., Zhang, Y.*, Hung, C.O.Y., & Shi, P. (2023). Development of Chinese KindergartenQuality Rating Scale: Delphi Method. Early Education.
Hung, O.Y. & Tse, K.P. (2023). Residential Infants and Toddlers Educare Model: A practical handbook. Yew Chung College of Early Childhood Education.
Hung, C.O.Y.* (2021). The role of executive function in reading comprehension amongbeginning readers. British Journal of Educational Psychology. 91(2), 600-616. DOI:10.1111/bjep.12382. [SSCI; IF = 3.7]
Hung, C.O.Y.* & Loh, E.K.Y. (2021). Examining the contribution of cognitive flexibility tometalinguistic skills and reading comprehension. Educational Psychology. 41(6), 712-729.DOI: 10.1080/01443410.2020.1734187. [SSCI; IF = 3.2]
Loh, E.K.Y. & Hung, C.O.Y. (2020). A study on the challenges faced by mainstream schoolsin educating ethnic minorities in Hong Kong. HKSAR: Equal Opportunities Commission.
Open Science Collaboration (2015). Estimating the reproducibility of psychological science.Science, 349(6251). DOI: 10.1126/science.aac4716. [SCIE; IF = 54.5]
Hung, C.O.Y.* (2014). Higher-level cognitive processes and Chinese text comprehensionamong school-aged children: A literature review. In J. Cheung, L. Fang & L. Jiang (Eds.),Research Studies in Education (Vol. 12). Hong Kong: The University of Hong Kong.
Hung, C.O.Y. (2025). Parent-child shared reading and young children’s listening comprehension development. Paper presented at Pacific Early Childhood Education Research Association Annual Conference 2025. Shanghai, China
Lau, K.S.Y., & Hung, C.O.Y. (2025). The effect of parental control on children’s oral language skills development. Poster presented at Pacific Early Childhood Education Research Association Young Scholar Conference. Hong Kong SAR, China
Du, J. & Hung, C.O.Y. (2025). Parents’ questions during shared reading and children’s listening comprehension development: The mediating effects of parental interaction quality and sensitivity. Poster presented at Pacific Early Childhood Education Research Association Young Scholar Conference. Hong Kong SAR, China
Hung, C.O.Y., Chan, A.C.K., & Fung, S.S.W. (2024). Free play in early years among families in Hong Kong. Learning and Teaching Expo 2024. Hong Kong SAR
Pan, M. X., Wang, M.X., Lau, E., Hung, C., Chan, M. (2024). The Effect of Overhearing Praises on Young Children’s Persistence. Paper presented at Pacific Early Childhood Education Research Association Annual Conference 2024. Tokyo, Japan
Hung, C.O.Y. (2024). Exploring parent-child dyadic talk during free play in Hong Kong: Parental verbalization, lexical diversity, and language complexity. Paper presented at OMEP Conference and Assembly 2024.
Hung, C.O.Y., & Tse, R. (2024). Sustainability of Child Care Centers’ Service Quality in Hong Kong. Paper presented at American Educational Research Association Annual Conference 2024. https://doi.org/10.3102/2106330
Tse, R. & Hung, C.O.Y. (2023). A model toward quality educare for children in residential care in Hong Kong. Paper presented at Pacific Early Childhood Education Research Association Annual Conference 2023. Bali, Indonesia
Hung, C.O.Y., Zhang, Y., Wen, R. (2023). Development and Validation of a Measure of Early Childhood Education Quality in China. Paper presented at Pacific Early Childhood Education Research Association Annual Conference 2023. Bali, Indonesia
Zhang, Y., Hung, C.O.Y., Wen, R., Zheng, D., Han, H. (2023) Development of the Chinese Kindergarten Quality Rating Scale: A Pilot Study in Shenzhen, China. Paper presented at American Educational Research Association Annual Conference. Chicago, USA
Tse, R. & Hung, C.O.Y. (2023). Childcare Workers' Child-Centered Practice: The Mediating Role of Beliefs in Children and Child Participation. Paper presented at American Educational Research Association Annual Conference. Chicago, USA
Hung, O. Y. C., Zhang, Y., Wen, R. (2022). Early Childhood Education Quality Framework and Standards in China: A Delphi Study. Paper presented at Pacific Early Childhood Education Research Association Annual Conference. Hong Kong SAR, China
Wen, R., Cheung, C., Hung, O. Y. C., CHERI (2021). Developing Early Childhood Education Quality Framework and Standards in China. Paper presented at The OMEP Asia Pacific Regional Conference 2021. Hangzhou, China
To-Chan, S.P.T., Loh, K.Y.E. & Hung O.Y.C. (2021). Learning the lexical meanings of Chinese characters among kindergarteners reading Chinese as a second language: A three-wave longitudinal study. Poster presented at Annual Meeting, Society for the Scientific Study of Reading. Virtual
To-Chan, S.P.T., Loh, K.Y.E. & Hung O.Y.C. (2018, June). Predictors of Chinese character acquisition as a second language among kindergarteners: a three-wave longitudinal study. Paper presented at The Fifth International Conference on Chinese as a Second Language Research, Hong Kong SAR, China.
Hung, C.O.Y. & Loh, E.K.Y. (2015, July). Cognitive correlates of Chinese text comprehension. Paper presented at Twenty Second Annual Meeting, Society for the Scientific Study of Reading, Hawaii, United States.
Hung, C.O.Y. (2015, March). The contribution of executive functions to Chinese text comprehension: Inhibitory control, cognitive flexibility and working memory. Poster presented at International Convention of Psychological Science, Association for Psychological Science, Amsterdam, Netherlands.
Hung, C.O.Y. (2014, Dec.). Higher-level processes in Chinese text comprehension: Inhibitory control, working memory and inference making. Paper presented at Postgraduate Research Conference, Hong Kong.
Hung, C.O.Y. (2014, June). Executive function development and Chinese reading comprehension among primary school students. Paper presented at IAIMTE SIG Conference and Pre-Conference workshop Reading and Writing, Hong Kong
Hung, O.Y. (2011, June). Parental influences on creativity of children with developmental disabilities. Poster presented at The Hong Kong Psychological Society Annual Conference 2011, Hong Kong.

Speaker. Teachers' professional development in nature and living learning experience. SKH nursery schools (2025 Oct)
Free play among Hong Kong families. Learning and Teaching Expo 2024 (2024, 11th Dec)
Nurturing children’s executive function: Parent workshop. Hong Kong Children Health Competition co-organized by BGCA and Hong Kong Pediatric Foundation (2024 June)
Towards a model for residential homes of infants and toddlers. Learning and Teaching Expo 2023 (2023, 13th Dec)
Workshop on storytelling strategies for New Generation Academy, organized by The University of Hong Kong (2023, 11th July and 14th July)
Feature talk speaker: Development and Validation of Quality Framework and Standards for Early Childhood Education in China: A Study Based in Guangdong and Jiangsu Provinces. The First International Conference on Early Childhood Education and Mengxue (2023, 7th May)
Speaker: Towards a Model for Residential Homes of Infants and Toddlers. The First International Conference on Early Childhood Education and Mengxue (2023, 6th May)
Invited speaker. Workshop on storytelling strategies for New Generation Academy, organized by The University of Hong Kong (2023, 11th April and 18th April)
Introducing an Integrated Model of Nurturing Care for Infants and Toddlers at Child Care Centres. Learning and Teaching Expo 2022 (2022, 9th Dec)
Invited speaker. Workshop on storytelling strategies for New Generation Academy, organized by The University of Hong Kong (2022, 13th Sept and 16th Sept)
Press conference. The study on the challenges faced by mainstream primary schools in teaching ethnic minority students in Hong Kong, press conference at Equal Opportunities Commission (2020, 21st Jan)
Speaker. How do we foster children’s creativity (培養孩子的創造力), Parents’ and teachers’ workshop at Buddhist To Chi Fat She Yeung Yat Lam Memorial School (2011, 26th Jan)