The Power of Children's Learning in Their Reading
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WHAT IS THE STUDY ABOUT?
Reading is central to children’s academic and life outcomes; even in elementary school, teachers expect children to be able to learn from what they read. There is abundant evidence to show that children in grades two and up can learn both the spellings and meanings of novel words through independent reading, and that this learning is related to their word reading skills. However, less is known about the abilities of younger children to learn during shared book reading and the relation of such abilities to early word reading skill. |
Our project will investigate whether children in Pre-Primary, Primary, and Grade 1 can learn the spellings and meanings of novel words during shared book reading. We are interested if the ability to learn spellings, or meanings, or both, during shared book reading is related to early word reading skill. We will also investigate the skills that may support young children’s abilities to learn during shared book reading. We suspect that these skills may include aspects of orthographic knowledge, which is knowledge of the conventions of written language. For example, knowledge of print conventions (e.g., that text is read from left to right) and letter-pattern regularities and legalities (e.g., that words usually contain both consonants and vowels), as well as knowledge of punctuation and sentence structure, may support children to learn during shared reading. We are also interested in young children’s home literacy experiences and how they may be related to learning during shared book reading.
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The goal of our project is to establish a developmental time course of young children’s abilities to learn during shared book reading and the skills that support this learning. If one skill develops before the other, the earlier developing skill could be used to leverage the later developing skill. A developmental timeline of these skills will be useful for informing interventions and literacy lessons to ultimately better support children to learn from what they read.
WHAT'S NEW?
This study is currently in development and will be launched in the Fall of 2022. Stay tuned!
This study is currently in development and will be launched in the Fall of 2022. Stay tuned!
QUESTIONS ABOUT THE STUDY
If you have any questions about our study, please contact Language and Literacy Lab manager Stef Hartlin at [email protected].
If you have any questions about our study, please contact Language and Literacy Lab manager Stef Hartlin at [email protected].
MEET THE RESEARCH TEAM
This project is led by Dr. Hélène Deacon, Director of the Language and Literacy Lab at Dalhousie University, Dr. Nicole Conrad (Saint Mary’s University), graduate students Savannah Heintzman, Alex Ryken, and Mariam Elgendi, postdoctoral Fellow Dr. Emilie Courteau, and supported by undergraduate students Sophie Bhaskara and Marilla Hulls, and Lab Manager Stef Hartlin.
This project is led by Dr. Hélène Deacon, Director of the Language and Literacy Lab at Dalhousie University, Dr. Nicole Conrad (Saint Mary’s University), graduate students Savannah Heintzman, Alex Ryken, and Mariam Elgendi, postdoctoral Fellow Dr. Emilie Courteau, and supported by undergraduate students Sophie Bhaskara and Marilla Hulls, and Lab Manager Stef Hartlin.
Dr. Hélène Deacon
Study Lead/Lab Director |
Dr. Nicole Conrad
Study Lead |
Savannah Heintzman
Graduate Student |
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Stef Hartlin
Project Manager |
THANK YOU TO OUR PARTNERS AND FUNDERS
Thank you to all of our partners and funders! Our work would not be possible without your support!
Thank you to all of our partners and funders! Our work would not be possible without your support!