Leaps and bounds: From reading words to understanding texts
We invite your child(ren) in grades 5 and 6 to take part in a study on children's reading. This exciting study is being conducted by Dr. Hélène Deacon, her students, and our team at the Language & Literacy Lab (LLL) at Dalhousie University. The study will take place in the Language and Literacy Lab at Dalhousie University and takes about 60 minutes to complete.
Interested in taking part?
Please pick a date and time from our availability calendar below that work best for you and your child(ren) to take part. If you have more than one child they can take part one right after another or on different days/times, whatever is the most convenient for you! You can then complete and submit the below sign up form and a LLL team member will respond as soon as possible to confirm the date and time of your visit.
What do you receive for taking part?
Children will receive a sticker sheet, a certificate, and a $10 Amazon gift card after the completion of the session as a token of our appreciation. You will also have the option to receive a letter summarizing your child’s performance on a standardized test of word reading.
Where does the study take place?
The study will take place in person at the Language and Literacy Lab at Dalhousie University. We have a reserved parking spot and a room that families can wait while activities are taking place. Click here for instructions on how to get to the lab.
What happens at the visit?
A friendly LLL team member will meet you and your child(ren) and welcome you to the LLL. The LLL team member will provide you with a copy of the consent form, review the details of the study with you, and answer any questions you may have. If you agree to take part, you will sign the consent form and return to the LLL team member. The LLL team member will spend some time interacting with your child and then ask them if they would like to complete some activities with them. If your child agrees, the LLL team member and your child will move to a small, near by office, to complete the activities. Parents have the option to wait in the waiting area or to observe the activities through an observation window in an adjoining room to where the activities are taking place. You can let the LLL team member know your preference in advance of the visit via email or when you arrive at the LLL. Following the activities, the LLL team member will provide your child with a certificate and some small prizes and thank them for taking part.
Want to know more?
More information about the study and what you and your child will be asked to do can be found below in our FAQ section along with a copy of the consent form that you will be asked to sign when you arrive for your visit.
Questions
If you have any questions about taking part or any other aspect of the study, please contact Lab Manager Stef Hartlin at [email protected].
Please pick a date and time from our availability calendar below that work best for you and your child(ren) to take part. If you have more than one child they can take part one right after another or on different days/times, whatever is the most convenient for you! You can then complete and submit the below sign up form and a LLL team member will respond as soon as possible to confirm the date and time of your visit.
What do you receive for taking part?
Children will receive a sticker sheet, a certificate, and a $10 Amazon gift card after the completion of the session as a token of our appreciation. You will also have the option to receive a letter summarizing your child’s performance on a standardized test of word reading.
Where does the study take place?
The study will take place in person at the Language and Literacy Lab at Dalhousie University. We have a reserved parking spot and a room that families can wait while activities are taking place. Click here for instructions on how to get to the lab.
What happens at the visit?
A friendly LLL team member will meet you and your child(ren) and welcome you to the LLL. The LLL team member will provide you with a copy of the consent form, review the details of the study with you, and answer any questions you may have. If you agree to take part, you will sign the consent form and return to the LLL team member. The LLL team member will spend some time interacting with your child and then ask them if they would like to complete some activities with them. If your child agrees, the LLL team member and your child will move to a small, near by office, to complete the activities. Parents have the option to wait in the waiting area or to observe the activities through an observation window in an adjoining room to where the activities are taking place. You can let the LLL team member know your preference in advance of the visit via email or when you arrive at the LLL. Following the activities, the LLL team member will provide your child with a certificate and some small prizes and thank them for taking part.
Want to know more?
More information about the study and what you and your child will be asked to do can be found below in our FAQ section along with a copy of the consent form that you will be asked to sign when you arrive for your visit.
Questions
If you have any questions about taking part or any other aspect of the study, please contact Lab Manager Stef Hartlin at [email protected].
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Frequently Asked QuestionsConsent Form
For more detailed information about the study, please download and review the consent form. You may keep this copy for your records.
What Will This Study Contribute?
Reading is one of the most important skills that children learn. Our multi-year study examines how children harness their language skills to support their learning to read from Grades 1 to 6. We are working with a wide range of learners, to understand the skills that different children use. This knowledge will inform curriculum design, including how to support all children in reaching literacy success. Currently, we are looking for children to help us by testing out our activities that are designed for measuring reading and language skills – your child’s participation would help ensure we develop the best possible activities for the multi-year study. Who Can Take Part? All children in grades 5 and 6 are invited to participate. Participation is completely voluntary. We will only work with your child if you agree by signing the consent form, and if your child agrees to take part when you visit the lab. What Will You and Your Child Do? Your child will be asked to complete a variety of language and reading activities. For example, children will be asked to rearrange muddled sentences or choose meanings for words. Most activities are done individually, and others might be done in small groups. Some activities are audio-recorded. In total, these activities will take 45-60 minutes. We make it clear to the children that we are interested in how they do these activities rather than whether they get things right. Based on our experience, children find these activities fun and engaging, and enjoy working one-on-one. We thank children for their participation with prizes, such as colourful pencils, erasers, and stickers, as well as a certificate. What Will We Do With Your Information? The information gathered from this project is for research purposes, to help us achieve the best most reliable, age-appropriate and fun activities possible. The findings from your child’s participation will inform the activities we will use in our multi-year study. Findings from your child’s participation will only be shared based on results of all the participants together; these group-results will be shared with the research team. We may present our findings, based on results of all the participants together, in academic journals and education conferences; we may also share them with the centre for education and department. We may also contrast these group results to other groups, such as adults. As a parent/guardian, you have the option of receiving a letter explaining our findings for this part of the study for the group as a whole. You also have the option to receive your child’s reading level based on a standardized test of word reading. This feedback will indicate whether your child’s performance is appropriate for their age-level. |
How To Find Us
The LLL provides reserved parking for all visiting families. Directions to our parking spot and the main entrance to the lab entrance, where an LLL team member will meet you, can be found below. Note that one side of Alumni Crescent is currently blocked due to construction. This is not updated on Google Maps if you use google directions. The only entrance to Alumni Crescent from South Street is indicated with green arrows below. Google Map Link: https://goo.gl/maps/PJxUP2AmtxyeebT1A
The LLL provides reserved parking for all visiting families. Directions to our parking spot and the main entrance to the lab entrance, where an LLL team member will meet you, can be found below. Note that one side of Alumni Crescent is currently blocked due to construction. This is not updated on Google Maps if you use google directions. The only entrance to Alumni Crescent from South Street is indicated with green arrows below. Google Map Link: https://goo.gl/maps/PJxUP2AmtxyeebT1A