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New Collaboration with LEAP

The LEARN Lab has received a grant from the NU School of Communication to partner with Chicago-based nonprofit LEAP (Language Empowers All People) to study the effects of LEAP’s “Beginning with Babble” mobile app on language development. We will be enrolling families with toddlers this summer in an 8-week trial to understand how the BWB app may promote language growth. LEAP is led by CSD department alumna Katie Gottfred. The BWB app was developed with funding from the US HRSA “Bridging the Word Gap Challenge.”

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Summer Updates

The LEARN Lab entered full swing in the summer of 2016!

Students Emily and Kevin worked full time in the lab on several projects funded by Northwestern’s URG and URAP programs.

We are collaborating with the Northwestern Center for Audiology, Speech, Language, and Learning (NUCASLL) Clinic on a study of children’s language and brain development.

Prof. Norton and Silvia Lam presented a symposium at the Society for the Scientific Study of Reading conference in Porto, Portugal! Prof. Norton posed for a photo by the Douro River overlooking the city.

Prof. Norton and colleagues published two new papers:

in Nature Neuroscience: Connectivity precedes function in the development of the visual word form area. See coverage of the paper at MIT News.

in Current Opinion in Behavioral Science: Integrating MRI brain imaging studies of pre-reading children with current theories of developmental dyslexia: a review and quantitative meta-analysis.

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Construction is complete!

Things look a bit spartan aside from hardworking student Emily for the moment, but we are excited to share a glimpse at the lab’s new look!  Furniture and design items will work their way in over the next few weeks. The welcome and waiting room (left) is looking bright and the student workspace (right) is nice and quiet! Our testing room is so well sound protected that we are waiting for the installation of sound-dampening panels.

   

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Construction Update

We are looking forward to the renovations to our lab space in Frances Searle. The lab will include a welcome and waiting room for participants and their families, a quiet area for assessments, and space for our hardworking students. Here’s a glimpse into the color palette!

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Welcome Emily

Welcome to Emily Harriott, Northwestern ’19, who will be joining the lab for Winter and Spring 2016 as an undergraduate researcher. Emily was awarded the Early Research Experience Award from the School of Communication/Department of Communication Sciences and Disorders.