SPUR Project

2008 Winner (6 of 15)

Using Eye Tracking Methods to Validate Verbal Self-reports in Children’s Early Reading Activities: Implications for Assessing Children at Risk of Reading Disability
Supervisors: Dr Lee Farrington-Flint, Dr Rebecca Larkin (both from Psychology)

There is considerable public interest in addressing literacy difficulties among many primary school children and criticisms over current classroom instruction. This has led to psychologists evaluating current intervention methods to help improve reading skills for less-developed children. This is very much an applied area of research that needs further consideration and exploration. Within this project the student investigated how the strategies that children report to be using on everyday reading activities can be used as an accurate measure of reading performance on task. The project had a strong applied educational focus and involved working closely with literacy coordinators and teachers in local schools in order to assess the relative contribution of self-report methods in developing reading success. The results should inform the development and planning of classroom activities and literacy instruction in schools (especially for poor readers).

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