Silvia Clement-Lam

Assistant Research Professor

Psychological Sciences

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Education

Ph.D., 2019, Northwestern University

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Research Interests

Dr. Clement-Lam’s research aims to elucidate the mechanisms underlying literacy acquisition, encompassing typical and atypical development, multilingualism, and the influence of socio-cultural contexts on children. She employs a multidisciplinary approach, utilizing methods that range from standard laboratory experiments, integrating behavioral and neuropsychological assessments, to advanced neuroimaging techniques. Her work also involves designing interventions that bridge the gap between real-world practice and academic research. Dr. Clement-Lam’s ultimate goal is to translate scientific findings and theories of literacy and dyslexia into clinical and educational practices. She focuses on developing sensitive tools for the early identification of dyslexia and effective reading strategies for children with dyslexia.

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Teaching

• PSYC 2501. Cognitive Psychology

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Publications

*Clement-Lam, S. S.-Y., *Lau, A. N.-L., & Kearns, D. M. (2021). Neuroscience and special education: An attempt to break down walls between complementary (but divergent) disciplines. In Cook, B. G., Tankersley, M., & Landrum, T. J. (Eds.), The next big thing in learning and behavioral disabilities (Advances in learning and behavioral disabilities, Vol. 31), pp. 75-96. United Kingdom: Emerald Publishing Limited. *co-first authors

Lam, S.S.-Y., & McBride, C. (2018). Learn to write: The role of handwriting in Chinese spelling in kindergarten children. Journal of Educational Psychology, 110(7), 917-930.

Lam, S.S.-Y., White-Schwoch, T., Zecker, S. G., Hornickel, J., & Kraus, N. (2017). Neural stability: A reflection of automaticity in reading. Neuropsychologia, 103, 162-167.

Krizman, J., Bradlow, AR., Lam S.S.-Y., & Kraus, N. (2017). How bilinguals listen in noise: linguistic and non-linguistic factors. Bilingualism: Language and Cognition, 20(4), 834-843.

Tong, X., Lam, S.S.-Y., & McBride-Chang, C. (2016). Chinese literacy acquisition: A multilevel puzzle. In Wright, J.D. (Ed.) International encyclopedia of social and behavioral sciences (2nd edition). Oxford, UK: Elsevier Ltd.

Wang, Y., Lam, S.S.-Y., Mo, J., & McBride-Chang, C. (2014). Pinyin knowledge as a potentially important marker of early literacy development and impairment in mainland Chinese children. In Chung, K. K. H., Yuen, K. C. P., & Mclnerney, D. M. (Eds), Understanding Developmental Disorders of Auditory Processing, Language and Literacy across Languages: International Perspectives. Charlotte, N.C.: Information Age Publishing.

Lam, S.S.-Y., & McBride-Chang, C. (2013). Parent-child joint writing in Chinese kindergarteners: Explicit instruction in radical knowledge and stroke writing skills. Writing Systems Research, 5, 88-109.

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Research Funding

11/2022- 10/2024 NIH F32 Kirschstein-NRSA postdoctoral Fellowship, Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health & Human Development, F32HD106739-01A1 (PI: Clement-Lam)