Qualifications
Research Interests
My research interests include enhancing the literacy outcomes of children with speech sound difficulties, including children with childhood apraxia of speech; initial teacher education and large-scale implementation research to embed evidence-based literacy approaches. I am the successful learning theme leader for A Better Start National Science Challenge, a 10 year programme of research designed to uplift children’s wellbeing in Aoteroa, New Zealand. I currently hold three externally funded research projects that are examining the implementation of culturally responsive and structured approach to early literacy learning in New Zealand schools, supporting older students with literacy and/or communication difficulties in the upper school and connecting effective literacy teaching across the curriculum.
Recent Publications
- Gillon G., McNeill B., Scott A., Arrow A., Gath M. and Macfarlane A. (2023) A better start literacy approach: effectiveness of Tier 1 and Tier 2 support within a response to teaching framework. Reading and Writing 36(3): 565-598. http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/s11145-022-10303-4.
- Gillon G., McNeill B., Scott A., Gath M. and Westerveld M. (2023) Retelling stories: The validity of an online oral narrative task. Child Language Teaching and Therapy Early Access Online http://dx.doi.org/10.1177/02656590231155861.
- Maessen SE., Taylor BJ., Gillon G., Moewaka Barnes H., Firestone R., Taylor RW., Milne B., Hetrick S., Cargo T. and McNeil B. (2023) A better start national science challenge: supporting the future wellbeing of our tamariki E tipu, e rea, mō ngā rā o tō ao: grow tender shoot for the days destined for you. Journal of the Royal Society of New Zealand http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/03036758.2023.2173257.
- McNeill BC., Gillon G. and Gath M. (2023) The Relationship Between Early Spelling and Decoding.. Lang Speech Hear Serv Sch : 1-15. http://dx.doi.org/10.1044/2023_LSHSS-22-00161.
- McNeill B. and Gillon GT. (2022) Lockdown Experiences of 10–13 Year Olds in New Zealand. New Zealand Journal of Educational Studies 57(1): 173-189. http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/s40841-021-00237-w.