Wednesday 22 July 17:15
- 18:45
Hall: 13 - Room 10 SA
Chair and Discussant:
Pecini Chiara
Division: Division 5: Education and School Psychology
In an increasingly interconnected and digitally mediated world, the development of literacy skills
remains a cornerstone of educational success and social inclusion.However, the pathways to
literacy are shaped by a complex interplay of cognitive, cultural, linguistic,and technological
factors that vary widely across individuals and regions.This symposium brings together diverse
contributions that illuminate these pathways from multiple, complementary perspectives,
highlighting the urgent need to adopt both a comparative cultural lens and digitally enriched
methodologies.
A key theme emerging across the presentations is the recognition that literacy development is not a
uniform process. For example, one contribution investigates the early cognitive and environmental
predictors of writing ability using longitudinal twin data. This research distinguishes between
general developmental abilities and domain-specific precursors and leverages genetically sensitive
designs to unravel the intricate influences on writing outcomes and Specific Learning Disorders.
Such work underscores the necessity of early,individualized intervention informed by both
biological and contextual data.
This need for contextualization is further echoed in a systematic review focused on Sub-Saharan
Africa, a region marked by profound linguistic and cultural diversity. Despite global literacy
initiatives, regional outcomes remain below average, emphasizing the importance of culturally and
linguistically responsive approaches to literacy instruction and teacher training.
Simultaneously, the growing centrality of digital media in education introduces new opportunities
and challenges.Some contributions explore how core executive abilities—particularly in students
with ADHD—affect engagement and comprehension with digital vs print texts. Meanwhile,
interventions like Legends of Hoa'manu and CRAB show how well-designed digital tools can
strengthen foundational reading and cognitive skills, even across different languages.Other
contributions explore how students can be equipped to critically engage with online content
through gamified and scenario-based digital interventions such as VITO and EMILE.
Together, these studies argue for a paradigm shift: one that embraces comparative,culturally
grounded frameworks and harnesses the potential of digital innovation to foster literacy for all
learners—regardless of geography, background, or cognitive profile.This symposium aims to
ignite dialogue and collaboration toward more inclusive,adaptive, and effective literacy research
and practice.
