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Faculty of Graduate Studies

Lila Boulet

  • BA (Saint Mary’s University, 1994)

  • MA (Mount Saint Vincent University, 2006)

Notice of the Final Oral Examination for the Degree of Doctor of Philosophy

Topic

Tracking Early Literacy Development and COVID-19 Learning Loss

Department of Educational Psychology and Leadership Studies

Date & location

  • Thursday, April 3, 2025

  • 1:30 P.M.

  • Maclaurin Building, Room A341 and Virtual Defence

Reviewers

Supervisory Committee

  • Dr. Gina Harrison, Department of Educational Psychology and Leadership Studies, University of Victoria (Supervisor)

  • Dr. Doug Magnuson, Department of Educational Psychology and Leadership Studies, UVic (Member)

  • Dr. Stuart MacDonald, Department of Psychology, UVic (Outside Member) 

External Examiner

  • Dr. Sterett Mercer, Department of Educational & Counselling Psychology & Special Education, University of British Columbia 

Chair of Oral Examination

  • Dr. Antia Prest, Department of Curriculum and Instruction, UVic

     

Abstract

The COVID-19 pandemic significantly disrupted global education, amplifying the need to understand its long-term effects on literacy development. This multi-study dissertation examines the impact of COVID Learning Loss (CLL) on foundational reading skills in early elementary students. Paper 1 investigates a cohort of students who were in Grade 1 during the 2020 pandemic school closures and who were assessed one year after regular instruction resumed. Results revealed that 74% of students remained at risk in on or more foundational reading skills, such as vocabulary, phonological awareness, and decoding, performing comparably to peers with no prior English instruction, suggesting an enduring floor effect. Paper 2 extends the analysis, tracking 247 students through Grade 4. While recovery from CLL was ongoing, most students had not regained pre-pandemic achievement levels by Grade 4. Notably, typical protective factors, such as SES and vocabulary, had limited influence on recovery rates, indicating a broad, systemic impact on learning during critical developmental phases. These findings emphasize the urgent need for comprehensive academic recovery plans, as resilience alone is insufficient for spontaneous recovery, raising concerns about future academic and societal outcomes without targeted interventions. 

Keywords: foundational reading skills, COVID -19 pandemic, COVID learning loss, educational disruptions, component reading skills, direct and indirect effects of reading model (DIER), phase theory of reading development, risk factors, protective factors

 

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