Educational Psychology and Leadership Studies
University of Victoria
PO Box 3010 Stn CSC
Victoria, BC V8W 3N4
Canada
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Educational Psychology and Leadership Studies University of Victoria PO Box 3010 Stn CSC Victoria, BC V8W 3N4 Canada |
Dr. Gina Harrison
Assistant Professor
Area Advisor
for
Special Education
MacLaurin A562
250.721.7783 ph250.721.6190 fax
Dr. Harrison is a registered psychologist practicing in the area of school psychology. She is also the learning disabilities consultant to the Resource Centre for Students with Disabilities. Dr. Harrison spent several years working as a school psychologist within the K-12 school system providing assessment services and programming support for at-risk students and students with special needs. She heads the Language, Literacy , and Learning Lab where her research examines the cognitive and linguistic aspects of literacy in diverse populations, including children and adults with learning disabilities, literacy promotion and developmental health across the life-span, and effective assessment and intervention for literacy-based learning difficulties in schools and clinical settings. A main research focus is on writing, written expression disorders effective writing interventions, and the relationship between reading and writing in literacy development.
Dr. Harrison is the Principal Investigator on the following projects currently underway in the Language, Literacy and Learning lab:
"Researching the literacy profiles of children with communication disorders"
This project (funded through HELP-UVic: REACH) is examining early reading and writing skills in young 4-6 year old children with communication disorders who may be at risk for literacy based learning disabilities. How children's early cognitive and linguistic profiles compare to what is currently known in the literature on profiles of children at risk for reading disabilities will be examined to inform effective early identification and intervention efforts in this vulnerable population.
"The effects of extended time on essay writing for university students with learning disabilities"
Students with learning disabilities (LD) attending Canadian post-secondary institutions are entitled to accommodations and support for their disability. Many students with LD experience persistent writing difficulties, and extra time (i.e., time and a half, or double time) for writing tasks (e.g., in-class essay exams) is one of the most common accommodations provided to students. This project (funded through the anonymous donation of funds to support learning disabilities research) is aimed at examining the ways in which university students derive benefit from having extended time to write. Both the quality and quantity of text produced will be examined and the relationship among other important cognitive and literacy skills and students' writing will be investigated. The results of this project will provide important and timely information on the efficacy of this popular academic accommodation in relation to students' adult literacy profiles.
"Language and literacy predictors of writing in young English as a second language learners: Kindergarten"
Motivated by teachers' concerns over enhancing the literacy experiences and outcomes for their ESL learners, this project (funded through the National Centres of Excellence-CLLRNet) is examining the language and literacy skills that are most predictive of second language writing in relation to oral English proficiency and reading at the beginning of school (i.e., kindergarten). A large group of 127 ESL and non-ESL kindergartners from the Abbotsford School District participated in the first year of this project, and it is hoped that the outcomes of this project will inform early screening and assessment for early writing as well as reading as children begin school. Such screening will assist teachers in differentiating instruction for their ESL students, particularly for those students who may require early literacy learning support.
"Language and literacy predictors of writing in Grade 1 English as a second language learners"
This project (funded through a SSHRC-IRG) is the second year of the longitudinal study examining writing development in relation to oral English language and reading. We have completed data collection on the various language and literacy measures for the children who participated in Year 1 who are now in the first grade.
"Should writing instruction begin in kindergarten?"
Situated within current theory on the reciprocal and beneficial relationship between reading and writing in literacy development, this systematic review (funded through NCE-CLLRNet) is examining the impact of early writing instructional approaches to young children's developing literacy. Research on what writing instructional methods are the most effective in the early years for promoting literacy development will be synthesized.
Sample Publications
Milford, T. & Harrison, G.L. (forthcoming). Using the PLEASE strategy with a struggling middleschool writer with disabilities. Intervention in School and Clinic.
Harrison, G. L. & Krol, L. (2007). The relationship between L1 and L2 word-level
reading and phonological processing in ESL adults. Journal of Research in Reading, 30(4), 379-393.
Harrison, G. L. & Beres, D. (2007). The writing strategies of post-secondary students
with writing difficulties. Exceptionality Education Canada, 17, 221-242.
Harrison, G. L. (2005). The spelling strategies of students with varying graphophonemic skills: Implications to instruction and intervention, Exceptionality Education Canada, 15, 57-76.
Harrison, G. L. (2005). A review of the early reading diagnostic assessment, second
edition. Canadian Journal of School Psychology, 20, 111-116.
Harrison, G. L. (2005). Child presenting with a reading and written expression disorder. In the WISC-IV Technical and Interpretive Manual, Canadian Edition (PP.118-123). Toronto, ON: Harcourt Assessment, The Psychological Corporation.
Harrison, G. L. (2004). Differential use of orthographic and phonological coding
strategies by students with symmetrical and asymmetrical reading and spelling skills. Canadian Journal of School Psychology, 19, 33-57.
Harrison, G. L. (2004). Written expression instruction. In Teaching students with
reading difficulties and disabilities: A guide for educators. Saskatchewan Learning.
Area Advisor for Special Education
Dr. Harrison coordinates the graduate program in special education. She is also involved as an assessment and programming consultant in a community partnership with the Victoria Epilepsy and Parkinson’s Centre (VEPC) in a tutoring program for children with epilepsy.
Courses taught
Academic and Professional Affiliations
• Council for Exceptional Children (www.cec.sped.org)
• Society for the Scientific Study of Reading (www.triplesr.org)
• International Academy for Research in Learning Disabilities (www.iarld.net)
• Canadian Psychological Association (www.cpa.ca)
Executive Member, Psychologists in Education (www.cpa.ca/sections/psychologistsineducation)
• Member, College of Psychologists of B.C.(www.collegeofpsychologists.bc)
• British Columbia Association of School Psychologists (www.bcasp.ca)
• Canadian Society for the Study of Education (www.csse.ca)
updated Oct. 1 . 07
