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Gaab Lab
Welcome to the Gaab Lab!
Our lab at the Harvard Graduate School of Education studies how people learn and develop from infancy to adulthood, with a special focus on language and reading development, considering how different environments and experiences can shape these developmental trajectories. Using a combination of behavioral and neuroscience methods, we can better understand how learning abilities and disabilities develop over time, and can then use this information to inform education policy and create global impact.
Hover/tap to learn more about us!
Neuroscience
We research the neurobiological origins and development of language and reading skills/ difficulties through longitudinal neuroimaging studies following children from birth through adolescence.
Using various developmentally-appropriate, comprehensive measures of language and reading skills, we aim to better understand the neurobiological, behavioral, and environmental factors that either contribute to or protect against the development of language-based learning disabilities.
Neuroscience
Learning (Dis)abilities
A major focus of our research is to better understand the various factors that contribute to the development of learning disabilities. We then use these findings to develop frameworks for explaining learning differences, including both protective and risk factors, to better understand how learning differences arise throughout early childhood development.
Our work particularly emphasizes early identification of at-risk children through accessible early literacy screening tools, as well as promoting the concept of ‘preventative education.’
Learning (Dis)abilities
Policy, Outreach, and Impact
In translating our research from ideas to action, we focus on addressing contemporary challenges in practice and policy, aiming to enact systems-level, actionable change. This includes the development of accessible and practical EdTech solutions for early literacy screening designed for use in school as well as at home. Additionally, we are always looking for more ways to communicate our research findings to our community members, including policymakers, superintendents, educational foundations, school principals, practicing teachers, and advocacy groups.
To read more about our literacy screening tools, please see Screening for Reading Impairments.
