Emma Sumner
Biographic Data
| ID | 4628107 |
|---|---|
| NAME | Emma Sumner |
| GIVEN NAMES | Emma |
| FAMILY NAME | Sumner |
| SIGNATURE | SUMNER E |
| AFFILIATIONS | Psychology and Human Development UCL Institute of Education University College London London UK |
| ORCID | 0000-0002-9196-7713 |
| VERIFIED | Yes |
| TOTAL WORKS | 11 |
| TOTAL CITATIONS | 0 |
| AUTHOR COUNT | 11 |
| EDITOR COUNT | 0 |
| FIRST PUBLICATION YEAR | 2020 |
| LATEST PUBLICATION YEAR | 2026 |
| H-INDEX | 0 |
‘I Don't Know What's Right and What's Wrong’
For some students, handwriting difficulties persist from primary to secondary school. The aim of this study was to understand parents' perceptions of their child's experience with handwriting and typing. Fifteen parents of children attending secondary schools in England participated in semistructured interviews. These focused on parents' perceptions of the child's handwriting difficulties, their responses to support received for handwriting/typin…
Mapping the Field of Effective Teaching and Interventions for Children With Reading Difficulties
This paper maps the field of teaching and interventions for children with reading difficulties through a systematic tertiary review, qualitative meta‐synthesis, and a national survey. The study has two main aims: (1) to provide an up‐to‐date review of systematic reviews and longitudinal experimental trials of effective interventions for children with reading difficulties; and (2) to report the findings from a national survey that addressed approa…
Understanding exam access arrangements in practice
Secondary students with specific learning difficulties (SpLD) often face challenges with academic tasks, particularly with high‐stakes examinations. Exam access arrangements (EAA) are provided as reasonable adjustments to reduce disadvantage for students with SpLD. However, the application process for EAA has become increasingly bureaucratic, requiring extensive documentation and formal assessment. The number of applications for AA continues to r…
A survey of SEN practitioners' experiences of identifying and supporting exam access arrangements
Exam access arrangements aim to support students to demonstrate their knowledge in high‐stakes examinations. This study aimed to capture the experiences of practitioners providing this support. The sample comprised 134 SEN practitioners (SENCos and Exam Access Arrangements Assessors) based in secondary schools across England. Participants completed a survey asking about identification and monitoring the need for an access arrangement, they rated …
Exploring how children with reading difficulties respond to instructional supports in literacy games and the role of prior knowledge
Digital literacy games can be beneficial for children with reading difficulties as a supplement to classroom instruction and an important feature of these games are the instructional supports, such as feedback. To be effective, feedback needs to build on prior instruction and match a learner's level of prior knowledge. However, there is limited research around the relationship between prior knowledge, instruction and feedback in the context of le…
Capturing variations in how spelling is taught in primary school classrooms in England
Mastering spelling is important for children to progress in writing. The National Curriculum in England details spelling lists linked to each year group in primary education. Assessment practices also emphasise the importance of teaching spelling. However, to date, little is known about how teachers feel about teaching spelling nor the instructional methods that they use in primary schools in England. This study addresses this gap by investigatin…
Oral language at school entry
There has been a resurgence in concern about the levels of pupils’ oral language skills at school entry. To support and develop these skills effectively an understanding of the key components of oral language is required. We examined the oral language skills of monolingual children in Reception (MAge = 57.9 months; n = 126) and Year 1 (MAge = 69.07; n = 124) classes in England. Children were recruited from schools that were representative of Lond…
Appropriation of literacy technologies in the classroom
Background: Approaches to teacher professional development, such as learning designs (LDs), can facilitate primary school teachers' appropriation of literacy technology in the classroom. LDs are detailed learning activities and interventions designed by teachers to plan their use of technology. Methods: Using a creative design methodology to carry out a series of LD workshops with teachers, we aimed to understand how primary school teachers envis…
Do children with reading difficulties benefit from instructional game supports? Exploring children's attention and understanding of feedback
This paper examines how primary aged children with reading difficulties attend to, understand and act upon different types of feedback within a digital literacy game. A systematic and structured video analysis of twenty‐six children's game play was carried out focussing on moments where children made an error and were followed by in‐game feedback. Our findings show that children benefited from outcome feedback, which supported an accurate interpr…
Designing for “challenge” in a large‐scale adaptive literacy game for primary school children
The use of learning games within the classroom is becoming increasingly common because of their potential to positively impact learning. Recent developments in adaptivity offer further possibilities to personalise learning by tailoring the game to an individual child's level or particular learning needs. However, designing an adaptive learning game is a complex process as many different game components have an impact on the provision of optimal c…
Writing and Revision Strategies of Students With and Without Dyslexia
Previous work suggests that written text produced by university students with dyslexia is scored lower than that produced by their peers. The present study used a digital writing tablet to examine the writing process and the quality of text written by university students with dyslexia. Revision behavior during and after writing was also investigated. Thirty-two university students with dyslexia (mean age, 20 years), were compared with 32 typicall…
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Writing and Revision Strategies of Students With and Without Dyslexia
Previous work suggests that written text produced by university students with dyslexia is scored lower than that produced by their peers. The present study used a digital writing tablet to examine the writing process and the quality of text written by university students with dyslexia. Revision behavior during and after writing was also investigated. Thirty-two university students with dyslexia (mean age, 20 years), were compared with 32 typicall…
Do children with reading difficulties benefit from instructional game supports? Exploring children's attention and understanding of feedback
This paper examines how primary aged children with reading difficulties attend to, understand and act upon different types of feedback within a digital literacy game. A systematic and structured video analysis of twenty‐six children's game play was carried out focussing on moments where children made an error and were followed by in‐game feedback. Our findings show that children benefited from outcome feedback, which supported an accurate interpr…
Designing for “challenge” in a large‐scale adaptive literacy game for primary school children
The use of learning games within the classroom is becoming increasingly common because of their potential to positively impact learning. Recent developments in adaptivity offer further possibilities to personalise learning by tailoring the game to an individual child's level or particular learning needs. However, designing an adaptive learning game is a complex process as many different game components have an impact on the provision of optimal c…
Oral language at school entry
There has been a resurgence in concern about the levels of pupils’ oral language skills at school entry. To support and develop these skills effectively an understanding of the key components of oral language is required. We examined the oral language skills of monolingual children in Reception (MAge = 57.9 months; n = 126) and Year 1 (MAge = 69.07; n = 124) classes in England. Children were recruited from schools that were representative of Lond…
Appropriation of literacy technologies in the classroom
Background: Approaches to teacher professional development, such as learning designs (LDs), can facilitate primary school teachers' appropriation of literacy technology in the classroom. LDs are detailed learning activities and interventions designed by teachers to plan their use of technology. Methods: Using a creative design methodology to carry out a series of LD workshops with teachers, we aimed to understand how primary school teachers envis…
Exploring how children with reading difficulties respond to instructional supports in literacy games and the role of prior knowledge
Digital literacy games can be beneficial for children with reading difficulties as a supplement to classroom instruction and an important feature of these games are the instructional supports, such as feedback. To be effective, feedback needs to build on prior instruction and match a learner's level of prior knowledge. However, there is limited research around the relationship between prior knowledge, instruction and feedback in the context of le…
Capturing variations in how spelling is taught in primary school classrooms in England
Mastering spelling is important for children to progress in writing. The National Curriculum in England details spelling lists linked to each year group in primary education. Assessment practices also emphasise the importance of teaching spelling. However, to date, little is known about how teachers feel about teaching spelling nor the instructional methods that they use in primary schools in England. This study addresses this gap by investigatin…
‘I Don't Know What's Right and What's Wrong’
For some students, handwriting difficulties persist from primary to secondary school. The aim of this study was to understand parents' perceptions of their child's experience with handwriting and typing. Fifteen parents of children attending secondary schools in England participated in semistructured interviews. These focused on parents' perceptions of the child's handwriting difficulties, their responses to support received for handwriting/typin…
Mapping the Field of Effective Teaching and Interventions for Children With Reading Difficulties
This paper maps the field of teaching and interventions for children with reading difficulties through a systematic tertiary review, qualitative meta‐synthesis, and a national survey. The study has two main aims: (1) to provide an up‐to‐date review of systematic reviews and longitudinal experimental trials of effective interventions for children with reading difficulties; and (2) to report the findings from a national survey that addressed approa…
Understanding exam access arrangements in practice
Secondary students with specific learning difficulties (SpLD) often face challenges with academic tasks, particularly with high‐stakes examinations. Exam access arrangements (EAA) are provided as reasonable adjustments to reduce disadvantage for students with SpLD. However, the application process for EAA has become increasingly bureaucratic, requiring extensive documentation and formal assessment. The number of applications for AA continues to r…
A survey of SEN practitioners' experiences of identifying and supporting exam access arrangements
Exam access arrangements aim to support students to demonstrate their knowledge in high‐stakes examinations. This study aimed to capture the experiences of practitioners providing this support. The sample comprised 134 SEN practitioners (SENCos and Exam Access Arrangements Assessors) based in secondary schools across England. Participants completed a survey asking about identification and monitoring the need for an access arrangement, they rated …
Psychology (7 works) · Reading and Literacy Development (7 works) · Mathematics education (6 works) · Pedagogy (5 works) · Reading (process) (5 works) · Computer Science (4 works) · Linguistics (4 works) · Literacy (4 works) · Writing and Handwriting Education (4 works) · Child Development and Digital Technology (3 works)