Rauno Parrila, PhD

Professor

Department of Educational Psychology

Email: rauno.parrila@ualberta.ca

Mailing address:

Department of Educational Psychology

6-102 Education North

Edmonton, AB  T6G 2G5

Research and Interests

I am interested in cognitive, socio-cognitive, and linguistic correlates of both typical and atypical reading development. My current research examines (a) the cognitive, linguistic, and social compensation mechanisms of high-functioning adult dyslexics, (b) linguistic and cognitive correlates of individual differences in reading acquisition from kindergarten to grade 6, (c) linguistic and cognitive correlates of reading acquisition and fluent reading of deaf individuals, and (d) the effect of seductive details in text or pictures on comprehension and retention of central information when reading expository texts. I also have a keen interest in identification and remediation of reading, attention, and problem solving difficulties in children.

Many of the above research projects are collaborative efforts and would not have been possible without financial support from the University of Alberta, Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada, Canadian Language and Literacy Research Network, and Norwegian Research Council. For more details on the ongoing research projects, please check the “Research” pages.

Recent Publications (please send me an email at rauno.parrila@ualberta.ca with the title of the paper on it if you would like to receive a pre/reprint).

Georgiou, G., Parrila, R., & Kirby, J. R. (in press). RAN Components and Reading Development From Grade 3 to Grade 5: What Underlies Their Relationship? Scientific Studies of Reading.

Georgiou, G., Protopapas, A., Papadopoulos, T., Skaloumbakas, C., & Parrila, R. (in press). Auditory temporal processing and dyslexia in an orthographically consistent language. Cortex.

Manolitsis, G., Georgiou, G., Stephenson, K., & Parrila, R. (in press). Beginning to read across languages varying in orthographic consistency Comparing the effects of non-cognitive and cognitive predictors. Learning and Instruction. doi:10.1016/j.learninstruc.2008.07.003

Silinskas, G., Leppänen, U., Aunola, K., Parrila, R., & Nurmi, J.-E. (in press). Predictors of mothers’ and fathers’ teaching of reading and mathematics during kindergarten and Grade 1. Learning and Instruction. doi:10.1016/j.learninstruc.2009.01.002

Kemp, N., Parrila, R. K., & Kirby, J. R. (2009). Phonological and orthographic spelling in high-functioning adult dyslexics. Dyslexia, 15, 105-128.

McQuarrie, L. & Parrila, R. (2009). Phonological representations in deaf children: Rethinking the ‘functional equivalence’ hypothesis. Journal of Deaf Studies and Deaf Education, 14, 137-154.

Roman, A., Parrila, R., Kirby, J. R., Wade-Woolley, L., & Deacon, S. H. (2009). Towards a comprehensive view of the skills involved in word reading in grades 4, 6, and 8. Journal of Experimental Child Psychology, 102, 96-113.

Corkett, J., Hein, S. & Parrila, R., (2008). Are university students with a significant history of reading difficulties self-regulated learners. Exceptionality Education Canada, 18 (2), 51-68.

Corkett, J. & Parrila, R. (2008). Use of context in the word recognition process by adults with a significant history of reading difficulties. Annals of Dyslexia, 58, 139-161.

Deacon, S. H., Parrila, R., & Kirby, J. R. (2008). A review of evidence on morphological processing in dyslexics and poor readers. In G. Reid, A. Fawcett, F. Manis, & L. Siegel (eds.), The SAGE Handbook of Dyslexia (pp. 212-237). London: Sage Publications.

Georgiou, G., Parrila, R., Kirby, J. R. & Stephenson, K. (2008). Rapid naming components and their relationship with phonological awareness, orthographic knowledge, speed of processing, and different reading outcomes. Scientific Studies of Reading, 12, 325-350.

Georgiou, G., Parrila, R., & Liao, C,-H., (2008). Rapid naming speed and reading across languages that vary in orthographic consistency. Reading & Writing, 21, 885-903.

Georgiou, G. K., Parrila, R., & Papadopoulos, T. C. (2008). Predictors of word decoding and reading fluency across languages varying in orthographic consistency. Journal of Educational Psychology, 100, 566-580.

Kirby, J. R., Silvestri, R., Allingham, B., Parrila, R. & La Fave, C. (2008). Learning strategies and study approaches of college and university students with dyslexia. Journal of Learning Disabilities, 41, 85-96.

Liao, C,-H., Georgiou, G., & Parrila, R. (2008). Rapid naming speed and Chinese character recognition. Reading & Writing, 21, 231-253.

Parrila, R. (2008). The Multiple Systems Model of Reading: Understanding reading disabilities and their effect on academic achievement across individuals and orthographies (Invited Paper). The Japanese Journal of Special Education, 45, 383-404.

Stephenson, K. A., Parrila, R. K., Georgiou, G. K. & Kirby, J. R. (2008). Effects of home literacy, parents’ beliefs, and children’s task-focused behaviour on emergent literacy and word reading skills. Scientific Studies of Reading, 12, 24-50.

McGonnell, M., Parrila, R., & Deacon, H. (2007). The recruitment and description of university students who self-report difficulty acquiring early reading skills. Exceptionality Education Canada, 17, 155-174.

Parrila, R., Georgiou, G. & Corkett, J. (2007). University students with a significant history of reading difficulties: What is and is not compensated. Exceptionality Education Canada, 17, 195-220.

Corkett, J., Parrila, R., & Hein, S. (2006) Learning and study strategies of high-functioning developmental dyslexics in post-secondary education. Developmental Disabilities Bulletin, 34, 57-79.

Deacon, S. H. Parrila, R., & Kirby, J. R. (2006). Processing of derived forms in high-functioning dyslexics. Annals of Dyslexia, 56, 103-128.

Georgiou, G. K., Parrila, R., & Kirby, J. R. (2006). Rapid naming speed components and early reading acquisition. Scientific Studies of Reading, 10, 199-220.

Parrila, R., Aunola, K., Leskinen, E., Nurmi, J.E., & Kirby, J. R. (2005). Development of individual differences in reading: Results from longitudinal studies in English and Finnish. Journal of Educational Psychology, 97, 299-319.

Parrila, R. K., Kirby, J. R., McQuarrie, L. (2004). Articulation rate, naming speed, verbal short-term memory, and phonological awareness: Longitudinal predictors of early reading development? Scientific Studies of Reading, 8, 3-26.

Kirby, J. R., Parrila, R. K. & Pfeiffer, S. L. (2003). Naming speed and phonological awareness as predictors of reading development. Journal of Educational Psychology, 95, 452-464.