“The hope is that by understanding what

predicts how students respond

emotionally when asked to read, we can

determine how to set up learning

environments that best promote positive

emotional engagement for all students.”

Samantha DaleyResearch Scientist,Center for Applied Special Technology

sSamantha Daley is a familiar face at Landmark. As a Harvard graduate student in 2007 and 2008, shespearheaded a research project focusing on the role of emotions and stress when students were performing tasks related to reading comprehension. At that time, not only was her hypothesis confirmed, she also discovered through her research that the population with learning disabilities had elevated levels of stress before they even began their reading tasks. This discovery has led to a more recentstudy, focusing on people with learning disabilitiesand their elevated stress signals in the time leadingup to tasks. Although it is felt that a little anxietywhen instructions are given can be helpful, a prolonged anxious state could have significant healthissues for individuals. According to Daley, “Thisresearch will help us understand more fully the factorsthat contribute to successful reading and learning for students with learning disabilities, as emotions have not typically been a focus of serious research but look to actually be critical contributors to success.”

Samantha currently works for the Center for Applied Special Technology (CAST) and is continuing herresearch with the population here at Landmark’s Elementary • Middle School (EMS) campus. She is usingtechniques similar to her first study to monitor the cardiovascular profile of students engaged in readingtasks. While Samantha also conducted research in public schools during the first phase, identifying andrecruiting students with learning disabilities in these schools was difficult and made research focused on thispopulation quite challenging. Having an established relationship between Harvard and Landmark made theidea of conducting research much more feasible. Samantha hopes to attract 7th and 8th grade EMS students to participate, and has completed testing on eleven students to date.

Daley holds a doctorate in Human Development and Psychology from the Harvard Graduate School ofEducation. She has published her work in Mind, Brain, and Education, 2007’s “Best New Journal” in theSocial Sciences & Humanities for which she was co-editor of a special section, and the Journal ofPostsecondary Education and Disability.

Emotions and Stress in Reading Tasks:A Research Studyby Deborah ChandlerAcademic Case Manager, Landmark Elementary • Middle School

CAST is an educational research and development organization that works toexpand learning opportunities for all individuals through Universal Design forLearning. Anyone interested in additional information on this study or SamanthaDaley’s research in general is welcome to contact sdaley@cast.org or 781.245.2212.

“...emotions have not typically been a focusof serious research but look to actually becritical contributors to success.”