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As the director of the Edmond J. Safra Center for the Study of Brain and Learning Disabilities, I am thrilled to offer you a comprehensive resource that combines the latest research from the fields of neuroscience, psychology, and education with practical insights and tools that can help parents, educators, and policymakers better support the social emotional, cognitive, and academic development of young learners.
Our team of experts has spent years researching how language, culture, and socio-economic factors impact the learning experiences of Hebrew- and Arabic-speaking children, and we have identified several key areas where targeted interventions and support can make a significant difference in their learning journeys.
On this website, you will find a wealth of information on topics such as literacy development, bilingualism, numeracy skills, and executive functions, as well as tips and strategies for parents and educators on optimizing learning environments, enhancing motivation and engagement, and fostering positive attitudes toward learning.
We believe that every child deserves the best possible start in life, and we hope this website will serve as a valuable resource for anyone committed to promoting the well-being and success of children.
Prof. Tami Katzir
Prof. Tami Katzir is a member of the Department of Learning Disabilities at Haifa University and the head of the Edmond J. Safra Brain Research Center for the Study of Learning Disabilities.
She received her PhD in Applied Child Development at Tufts University (2003) and served as a faculty member at the Harvard Graduate School of Education in the In the Mind Brain and Education Program (2003–2008). She was also a visiting professor of neurology at the David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA (2009-2012) and a scholar in residence at the Stephan Wise Academy School at Bel-Air. She was the chair of the Department of Learning Disabilities at Haifa University in 2013–2016.
Her research interests revolve around the cognitive, emotional, and biological bases of reading development and reading disabilities in diverse populations. She has examined the role of fluency in reading in various orthographies, as well as the relationship between linguistic and social-emotional processes in reading fluency and comprehension. Tami Katzir’s research is supported by various foundations, including the Spencer Foundation, the U.S. Department of Education, the Piper Foundation, the Israel Science Foundation, and the Israeli Department of Education.
She has received teaching awards as well as Etti and Dusty Miller awards of excellence for junior faculty. In addition, she has authored nearly 100 publications and is a member of the editorial board of several leading academic journals, such as Applied Psycholinguistics, Mind Brain and Education, and Annals of Dyslexia. She is also a member of several literacy committees in the Israeli Ministry of Education. In recent years, together with her colleagues, she has developed two innovative multi-component intervention programs focused on the basic social, linguistic, and cognitive skills that promote reading development in children.
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