Researcher Summary
Professor Gillon (Ngāi Tahu iwi) is the Director of the University of Canterbury Child Well-Being Research Institute and is also Co-Director of the Better Start National Science Challenge ($34M) E Tipu E Rea, A 10 year programme of research focused on ensuring all young children have a successful start to life. Prof Gillon’s area of research focuses on understanding the relationship between spoken and written language development and, in particular, the importance of children’s phonological awareness to reading and spelling development.Active research projects include: The effectiveness of phonological awareness interventions in facilitating early literacy success in children who enter school with known challenges for reading and spelling. Engaging parents, family and community in children’s early oral language and literacy development, Facilitating literacy success in children with speech and language impairment; Understanding international speech language therapy practices in children with Autism Spectrum Disorder, Interdisciplinary practices across health and education to support children’s learning, Teachers’ professional development in children’s oral language and early literacy development, Oral Language Assessment measures (Systematic Analysis of Language Transcripts) Phonological Awareness on-line assessments in English, Te Reo Maori and Samoan.
