Early Reading Success: Skills for Young Learners

Dr. Amy Scott serves as Senior Lecturer and programme coordinator for the Better Start Literacy Approach microcredentials at the University of Canterbury's Child Well-being Research Institute. Her research focuses on early literacy and language development, particularly in supporting teachers and families to create optimal learning environments. Her work with the Better Start Literacy Approach (BSLA) has shown significant success in improving children's phonics, phoneme awareness, word reading, spelling, and oral narrative abilities across diverse populations. As Project Manager of the Successful Literacy and Learning theme within the Better Start National Science Challenge, she has contributed to developing evidence-based literacy teaching approaches that incorporate cultural responsiveness and family engagement. Her research has demonstrated particular effectiveness in supporting teenage parents with literacy intervention and implementing large-scale literacy programs. Her academic background combines Psychology and Speech and Language Therapy with Honours from the University of Canterbury, providing a strong foundation for her work with diverse populations including young children, adolescents, and children with special needs. Currently, she leads professional development initiatives for teachers while continuing research on integrated vocabulary instruction and its impact on reading and spelling skills.