Silvana Mengoni

Profile

I completed my undergraduate degree in Psychology at the University of York in 2007, in which I focussed on educational and developmental psychology. I then received a 1+3 studentship to undertake a MSc in Reading, Language and Cognition and a PhD, also in the Department of Psychology at the University of York. The focus of my PhD was the development and interrelationship between reading and language in children with Down syndrome. I am currently working as a Research Associate in the Centre for Childhood, Development and Learning.  

Research Interests

My general research interests lie in the area of developmental cognitive psychology, specifically looking at literacy and language both in typical and atypical populations. I am particularly interested in the overlap of these two domains and developing effective ways to promote these skills. My PhD focused on the reciprocal relationship between spoken language and reading in children with Down syndrome with three studies: a longitudinal study, a spoken word learning study and a written word learning study.

Current Research

I am currently working on a project to revise and extend the Developmental Journal, part of the Early Support programme. The Developmental Journal is a resource for families of children with special educational needs and disabilities to track, record and celebrate their child's achievements and progress from birth to school-leaving.

http://www.ncb.org.uk/early-support

Publications