Spotlight: The SOLAR Lab

La Trobe’s Science of Language and Reading (SOLAR) Lab is helping schools to adopt well-established, scientific approaches to improve how they teach children to read.

Professor Pamela Snow and Associate Professor Tanya Serry – who founded the Lab in 2020 – are collaborating with researchers, teachers, school leaders and allied health professionals to integrate evidence-based approaches into classroom practice to promote success in reading, writing, and spelling.

Short courses

The SOLAR Lab offers a series of online short courses on the science of language and reading, designed for classroom teachers, literacy leaders, principals, allied health clinicians, and parents who are interested to know more about the linguistic foundations of reading and evidence-informed teaching practices.

The Science of Language and Reading – An Introduction

The Science of Language and Reading – An Introduction

Advance your knowledge with this specialised course which covers the linguistic basis of early reading as this applies to word decoding and language comprehension.

Read more

The Science of Language and Reading - Intermediate

The Science of Language and Reading - Intermediate

This is an intermediate course that expands on the linguistic basis of reading and integrates knowledge about the cognitive science of learning with reading instruction and intervention.

Discover how

The Science of Language and Reading – The Secondary School Perspective

The Science of Language and Reading – The Secondary School Perspective

Gain the knowledge and practical approaches to support secondary students who don't have the reading, writing, and spelling skills needed to succeed.

Find out more

Photo of Associate Professor Tanya Serry

The work of the SOLAR Lab emphasises structured literacy instruction. This instruction is paired with ongoing support in developing oral language, vocabulary and background knowledge.