In an upcoming presentation, Devin Kearns, an assistant professor of special education at Boston University, will explore descriptive data to answer the question: Do third- and fourth-graders view long words as polysyllabic or polymorphemic? Kearns will present “De + ci + sions, Decide + sions, Decisions: How Do Elementary-Age Children Read Polysyllabic Words?” from 2 to 3 p.m. on September 26 in the Dean’s Lounge (SZB 238). To RSVP, send an e-mail with “Kearns” in the subject line to rsvp@meadowscenter.org.
Kearns has provided professional development and designed curricula for the University of California, Los Angeles; Vanderbilt University, where he received his doctorate; and Teach for America. For his doctoral work, Kearns worked on a large-scale investigation of the Peer-Assisted Learning Strategies supplemental reading program and on a study of the cognitive causes of reading disability. He recently worked on a project to prevent reading difficulties in first-grade students, for which he and others designed phonics instruction.