UW Reading Development Project

Learn more about our lead investigator! We are so lucky to have her! 💜

Can you believe it’s already June? Well, we’ve got our June Haring Center staff spotlight for you!

𝗥𝗼𝘅𝗮𝗻𝗻𝗲 𝗛𝘂𝗱𝘀𝗼𝗻,
𝗣𝗿𝗼𝗳𝗲𝘀𝘀𝗼𝗿 𝗶𝗻 𝗦𝗽𝗲𝗰𝗶𝗮𝗹 𝗘𝗱𝘂𝗰𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻

𝗛𝗼𝗺𝗲𝘁𝗼𝘄𝗻: Bellingham, WA
𝗛𝗮𝗿𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗖𝗲𝗻𝘁𝗲𝗿 𝘁𝗲𝗻𝘂𝗿𝗲: 16 years

𝗪𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝗱𝗼𝗲𝘀 𝘆𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗽𝗼𝘀𝗶𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝗲𝗻𝘁𝗮𝗶𝗹? My work focuses on two areas. One, I prepare special education pre-service teachers to teach reading and writing to a wide range of students and help them view literacy in expansive ways so they can think of meaningful literacy instruction and experiences for all their students regardless of their disability label. I also prepare Ph.D. researchers who are focused on understanding reading and writing development and intervention focused on students with disabilities. Two, I research reading development and intervention for children with disabilities. My current project is measuring the language and literacy knowledge in important areas for reading of children with Intellectual/Developmental Disability in grades 1-3. We are then following them for three years to see how they develop over time. This project is the first of its kind in the United States.

𝗪𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝗶𝗻𝘀𝗽𝗶𝗿𝗲𝘀 𝘆𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝘄𝗼𝗿𝗸? My own time as a special educator inspires my work. I had so many questions about how to teach reading to my students that I wanted answers. Reading and writing are such important skills in our society and open many doors for people from accessing academic content to texting with loved ones to reading instructions from the doctor. I believe everyone deserves to have access to the type of reading and writing that make sense to them and everyone is capable of learning if we provide the right instruction.

𝗪𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝗶𝘀 𝗮 𝗵𝗼𝗯𝗯𝘆 𝗼𝗳 𝘆𝗼𝘂𝗿𝘀? I own a diversified organic farm with my husband. We grow lots of different berries and vegetables and have a wonderful crew of young people who help make it successful. We use our farm to help combat climate change through sequestering carbon in the 2000 trees we've planted, the electric truck we use on the farm, and the two solar systems that generate 20% of our energy needs. And grow delicious healthy food for lots of people.