Welcome! At the READ Lab, we use cognitive-behavioral assessments to better understand children’s reading comprehension and language development in order to identify factors that may contribute to difficulties in these areas.
Here are a few of the questions that our research aims to answer:
- What accounts for the fact that some children have average or adequate word reading skills and yet encounter difficulties comprehending text?
- How can we best identify children who may develop reading comprehension difficulties?
- What are some of the similarities and differences between children who struggle to comprehend written language versus oral language?
- How do executive functions and attention contribute to children’s reading comprehension outcomes?
If you are interested in joining the lab, you can find more information here.
If you are interested in participating in research studies, you can find more information here.
Recent News
- Dr. Spencer Awarded NICHD Grant Focused on Further Understanding Reading Comprehension Difficulties! October 23, 2024This grant is funded by the Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development (NICHD) and the National Institutes of Health (NIH) and aims to further elucidate the extent to which cognitive-behavioral correlates of reading comprehension act as risk- (deficits) vs. protective factors (strengths) for the development of reading comprehension difficulties in…
- Dr. Spencer Awarded the Clarence Simon Award for Outstanding Teaching and Mentoring! May 22, 2024Dr. Spencer is the recipient of the 2024 Clarence Simon Award for Outstanding Teaching and Mentoring in the School of Communication. The Clarence Simon Awards program honors Clarence Simon, who served the School as an outstanding teacher and administrator for many years. It was established via a bequest from Paul and Helen Knight. The goal…
- READ Lab Involved in Multi-Site Research Collaborative! October 30, 2023The READ Lab is part of a multi-site research collaborative being led by principal investigators from the Florida Center for Reading Research, the MGH Institute of Health Professions, and the University of Virginia. This $8.9 million Learning Disabilities Research Centers grant is funded by the Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human…
