The Literacy Lab

10/19/2025

Exciting!

10/17/2025

This is happening next weekend. Spots still available at https://researched.org.uk/event/researched-atlantic-canada/?fbclid=IwdGRjcANefNBleHRuA2FlbQIxMQABHrOgdrjgCYJkwGnuYzN3duoLpmUso_H9thvi5KFs7cHEvWlR71y0w2JAEUb8_aem_dFHPwp6z29Yeg3DusKP0gw

10/13/2025

Research ED Canada is hosting a one-day conference at Saint Mary's University Halifax, on October 25. The content is primarily for teachers & educators, featuring international speakers and some fantastic local speakers, including this one.

Registration is still open https://www.eventbrite.ca/e/researched-atlantic-canada-2025-halifax-nova-scotia-tickets-1442431695029

10/10/2025

This mentoring program at Saint Mary's University Halifax provides unique paid research opportunities for students. I was fortunate to have two students working with me this past summer developing skills such as remote data collection with kids, coding experiments using Gorilla Experimental Software, administering standardized achievement tests, creating data scoring protocols, and conducting systematic literature searches and scoping reviews, all while learning about the science of reading. What a joy to mentor such exceptional students.

Every summer Saint Mary's University Halifax’s students finish their regular school year classes, wrap up exams and papers—and then start exciting, (paid!) educational research projects with professors in their fields.

“Our research award programs give students an opportunity to engage in research that complements their academic learning, and each year we are more and more impressed with the calibre of student resumes and their enthusiasm for taking on challenges,” says Dr. Adam Sarty, Associate Vice-President, Research and Dean, Faculty of Graduate Studies and Research. “These awards give our most dedicated and capable students valuable experiences that have an immediate effect on their skill and depth of knowledge in their upcoming courses—while also strengthening their prospects when pursuing graduate education or entering the workforce.”

Read more about the great programs that support our students: �https://news.smu.ca/news/2025/9/18/undergraduate-students-gain-valuable-experience-with-summer-research

10/08/2025

ResearchED Atlantic Canada is being held at Saint Mary's University Halifax on October 25, 2025 with a stellar line-up of speakers for teachers, educators, and practitioners! Book your spot now!

Announcement: researchED Canada is back with researchED Atlantic Canada, "Better Together," Sat Oct 25, 2025, in Halifax, NS, featuring Amanda VanDerHeyden, George Georgiou, and Leslie Laud - and our Canadian stars, Jamie Metsala and John Mighton. Tickets are now avialable on Eventbrite! Be an eraly bird!

https://www.eventbrite.ca/e/researched-atlantic-canada-2025-halifax-nova-scotia-tickets-1442431695029

06/27/2025

We are seeking participants to take part in an exciting new pilot study on how learning to spell affects reading! We are currently recruiting Grade 3 & 4 students (entering or leaving Grade 4) to read stories with us at the Literacy Lab at Saint Mary’s University. Participants in the study will receive a $10 gift card to Chapters Indigo!

We offer online (via Zoom) or in-person participation options.

The study will take about 30 minutes, and during that time, your child will read four stories and answer some questions to gauge their understanding. Our goal is to evaluate whether the stories we created are too easy or too hard for this age group.

If your child is interested in participating, please contact Dr. Nicole Conrad by email at [email protected].

This study is funded by the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council.

11/22/2018

"Last week, my son brought home a stack of papers from his first-grade class. Some of them had obvious spelling errors, but no one had marked them wrong. What's the deal? Why don't teachers seem to care about spelling anymore?"

08/18/2017

Agreed!?

07/24/2017

Job opportunity for SMU Psychology students.

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