The Institute of Education Sciences (IES) recently awarded researchers in the Department of Educational Psychology a three-year, $1.5 million grant to develop a Technology-Based Early Language Comprehension Intervention (TELCI) to improve reading comprehension of students with or at risk for disabilities who experience comprehension difficulties in early elementary years (first and second grade).

The project is led by Panayiota Kendeou, associate professor in the psychological foundations of education program, Kristen McMaster, professor in the special education program, Theodore J. Christ, professor in the school psychology program, and Mary Jane White, researcher in the school psychology program.

The team plans to develop a completely automated, cloud-based software intervention that will train students to make inferences in non-reading contexts, while providing support and feedback tailored to each student’s profile.