Robert Savage, dean of the Faculty of Education at 91ŃÇÉ«, is leading research that asks a deceptively simple question: What actually helps children learn to read – and how early can schools intervene to make a lasting difference?
Years of experience as a school teacher and psychologist have framed his thinking about research, which since 2023 has focused on how children learn to read, both typically and atypically.
His research has also informed literacy policy and classroom practice in Ontario.
For instance, Savage served as a consultant to the Ontario government on its reading curriculum following a 2022 Ontario Human Rights Commission report on human rights issues affecting children with reading disabilities. Drawing on his research expertise and experience in schools, he contributed to the revised curriculum and helped develop supporting videos and scripts to make the changes easier for teachers to understand and incorporate into the classroom.
“I’m always interested in a mix of theory and practice and in how to use theory to develop better programs for developing reading,” he says. “I also like to collaborate.”
During another project, while working with colleagues at Concordia University, he co-created the web-based literacy program that offers activities for learners and is free to the public.
More recently, with funding from the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada and the Max Bell Foundation, Savage and a colleague at the University of Alberta have partnered with school boards in five provinces, including Ontario, to develop new screening tools, assess existing ones and share literacy resources. School boards in Alberta, Ontario, Quebec, B.C. and Saskatchewan have used the tools to screen incoming Grade 2 students, assess reading skills, identify areas of concern and implement targeted reading programs to help prevent reading difficulties.
As part of the project, Savage and his colleague provided professional development for classroom and resource room teachers. They also offered ongoing support and trained graduate students to consult with teachers as interventions were delivered, helping to tailor approaches to meet student needs.
In April 2026, the research team screened Grade 2 students still working toward early reading proficiency to see whether the interventions made a difference. The students will be assessed again at the end of the school year and at the start of Grade 3 to see whether improvements are sustained. If some students continue to struggle with reading, the team plans to repeat the interventions and reassess progress.
“We want to see if we can move the needle nationally, and I am looking forward to being involved more directly during my research year,” Savage says, noting it will be the focus of his work after stepping down from his role as dean this July. “We are hoping we can take our successes to the government and policymakers to shape evidence-based practice.”
At the classroom level, the project compares two different literacy interventions based on distinct ways of understanding the spelling system to determine which approach is more effective, and for whom.
Early indications suggest many students have reached the average range for reading success following the interventions.
With dedicated research time ahead, Savage plans to analyze the data in greater depth to determine which students benefit most, the optimal length of an intervention and most effective group size. He plans to share findings with schools, parents, government and all other literacy stakeholders.
“It’s a project that was done with a relatively small amount of money in partnership with school boards, who provided in-kind supports such as training space and a lot of goodwill,” Savage says. “Reading is the gateway to inclusion, and it’s a pathway to a strong economic future. Increasingly, the evidence also finds links between education and lifelong health outcomes.”
Savage says his research focus has also informed his work with colleagues, allowing him to engage in discussions about research as a fellow academic as well as a Faculty leader.
“We’ll let the data speak for themselves,” he says. “We’re feeling good now, but there will be things that work and things that don’t. That’s how you learn.”
With files from Elaine Smith