When reading takes off: Children's word learning during independent reading

This project aims to address the major unsolved problem of how children build their knowledge about printed words through their independent reading. This is important since, once children have been taught the basics of reading, the primary means by which they learn new words is through reading experience. The project will use innovative technology to monitor children’s eye movements as they encounter new words during reading, examining factors influencing real-time processing and ongoing learning. Expected outcomes will be novel insights into how to optimise children’s word learning when reading, and the refinement of a new computational reading model. These will inform education policy and practice, to the benefit of Australia's children.