Emma James

Developmental Psychologist

Language is something that most of us use every day with very little conscious effort, yet no one is born knowing how to speak (let alone read!). During my undergraduate degree in Experimental Psychology at the University of Oxford, I became fascinated by how children acquire these complex skills and how we might be able to support those who find reading and language challenging. I went on to study for a Masters degree in Developmental Cognitive Neuroscience and PhD in Psychology at the University of York. My research aims to understand why some children find it easier to learn and remember new words than others, and the links between language difficulties and reading comprehension.

Some of my research has looked at how sleep helps us to store new words in memory. You can read more about the importance of sleep for learning in this article that we wrote for teenagers: “From ZZZs to AAAs: Why Sleep Is an Important Part of Your Study Schedule”.

You can find out more about Emma’s work on her website.