Building Better Readers: Characterizing the Neurological Effects of the SpellRead Reading Intervention Program

An estimated 15% of Canadian children have dyslexia, which limits their ability to reach their full potential as productive members of society. Over the past 20 years, Halifax Learning Centre (HLC) has developed and successfully delivered their SpellRead program to thousands of clients, and has seen very positive outcomes. As HLC looks to deploy this program nationally and in schools, they are seeking stronger empirical evidence for their program’s efficacy, and directions for improvement. To this end, the Accelerate computer science intern will develop and mine a new research database, based on HLC’s rich (but currently hard-to-access) data from over 3000 past clients. Paired with a brain imaging study of SpellRead conducted through the parallel NSERC ENGAGE study, this work will form a key contribution to HLC’s growth and the efficacy of their product, as well as setting the stage for continued collaboration with Dalhousie’s NeuroCognitive Imaging Lab.

Faculty Supervisor:

Aaron Newman

Student:

Partner:

Hfx Learning Centre Inc.

Discipline:

Life Sciences

Sector:

Health and Related Sciences & Technology; Education; Information and Communications Technology

University:

Dalhousie University

Program: