About

Devin M. Kearns, Ph.D., is the Goodnight Distinguished Professor in Early Literacy at North Carolina State University at Raleigh. His research focuses on early reading, working with colleagues in psychology, cognitive science, and neuroscience to understand the brain basis for reading. He develops programs aimed at improving student reading skills, particularly in decoding long words and enhancing content-area literacy in middle school classrooms. Dr. Kearns has also researched best practices for implementing multi-tiered systems of support and has developed an evidence-based system for intensive intervention (Tier 3) that is now used in schools nationwide. He frequently visits schools to help them learn about reading science and improve their support systems. Dr. Kearns has published extensively, with over 70 papers in prominent sources such as the Journal of Educational Psychology, the Structured Literacy Interventions book, and The Reading Teacher. He serves as the Chair-Elect of the Scientific Advisory Board of the International Dyslexia Association and has received awards for his research and advocacy from Vanderbilt University, the Windward Institute, and the University of Connecticut.

Research topics

• Computer Science
• Psychology
• Social Science
• Sociology
• Political Science
• Natural Language Processing
• Artificial Intelligence
• Mathematics education
• Applied psychology
• Linguistics
• Management science
• Epistemology
• Pedagogy

Selected publications

• How Can Special Education Implement Evidence-Based Strategies for Reading?

  2026-04-20

  book-chapterSenior author

  In this chapter we provide an overview of the Science of Reading, a compendium of reading research that identifies how individuals learn to read. We highlight key theoretical frameworks like the Simple View of Reading and the Phase Model. Then discuss the impact of legislative efforts, such as Right to Read laws, in promoting the implementation of the Science of Reading in schools. We also delve into the complexities surrounding its implementation and outline the importance of data-driven decision-making in a Multi-Tiered System of Support (MTSS) to ensure effective reading instruction for all students, especially those who require additional support. To conclude, we connect to how the Science of Reading looks in the classroom and specifically talk about reading instruction and activities that are effective.

  PublisherDOI

• Event-related potentials in the “Triangle” framework of reading and developmental dyslexia: a systematic review

  Annals of Dyslexia · 2025-12-13

  reviewOpen access

  Event-related potentials (ERPs) are widely used to investigate the neural underpinnings of reading and developmental dyslexia, yet there are significant disparities in methodological approach. This poses a challenge for generalizability and interpretation. This systematic review synthesizes studies that investigate ERPs associated with cognitive-linguistic correlates of reading and dyslexia in the "triangle" framework of reading: orthography, phonology, and semantics. Using the 2020 PRISMA guidelines, we performed title/abstract and full-text screening of 1,286 papers identified via database search. Included studies (N = 56) were categorized in terms of the cognitive-linguistic processes examined: (1) orthographic (including lexico-orthographic processing), (2) phonological, (3) orthographic-phonological (integration/processing), and/or (4) semantic. This comprehensive review synthesizes prominent ERP components and time windows that characterize these processes. Across studies, individuals with dyslexia generally exhibit atypical ERP responses during orthography and phonology, whereas results for semantic processing are ambiguous and underexplored. Nonetheless, inconsistencies across studies were noted, and quality assessment indicates a greater need for transparency in methods/results reporting, that is critical for reproducible sciences in dyslexia research.

  PublisherOA PDFDOI

• The Words Matter in Early Reading Acquisition: A Simulation Study

  2025-07-18 · 1 citations

  articleOpen access

  The development of word reading skills fundamentally depends on children's interactions with printed words. A significant amount of research in the psychological and educational sciences has been conducted on the learning processes that contribute to skilled word recognition in children and adults. However, little is known about how ensembles of words encountered during early learning affect learning outcomes over timescales larger than what can be accomplished in a controlled experimental setting. In order to move past this limitation, using an established connectionist learning architecture (Plaut, McClelland, Seidenberg, & Patterson, 1996; Seidenberg & McClelland, 1989) we examined how variation in word ensembles influence learning and generalization during early reading acquisition. We simulated learners (N = 30,000) exposed to different sets of monosyllabic printed words drawn randomly from children’s literature at a large scale. In order to examine how different ensembles might impact learning depending on the learner's ability to represent the relationship between letters and sounds, we also manipulated the representational capacity of models by systematically changing the number of hidden units, holding the ensemble of words constant. Across levels of representational capacity each model had "twins" which differed only in terms of the number of hidden units they possessed. Results demonstrate significant variation in learning outcomes in a set of generalization words as a function of the word, ensemble and representational capacity. These findings inform educational practices by highlighting the importance of deliberate word selection to support early development.

  PublisherDOI

• The Presence and Progression of Rare Vocabulary in Texts Across Elementary Grades and Between Genres

  Education Sciences · 2024-11-29 · 4 citations

  articleOpen accessSenior author

  This study analyzed the prevalence and characteristics of low-frequency and rare words, together described as rarer words, in elementary-level texts, examining both narrative and expository materials to assess their vocabulary demands. By mapping the nature of shifts in rarer words across grade levels and text types, this research aimed to better understand the lexical challenges students face as they progress as readers. Analyzing a corpus of 300,000 words from narrative and expository texts at grades 1, 3, and 5, the research employed both quantitative and qualitative methods. Quantitatively, a digital program categorized words into four frequency groups—high, medium, low, and rare—while examining features of word length and age of acquisition that can influence word meaning recognition. Qualitatively, the analysis classified rarer words into 13 lexical categories and assessed their morphological family membership. The findings reveal an increase in total rarer words from 5.7% to 8.7% across grades, alongside a major rise in unique rarer words (32% to 43%). The complexity of features predicting word recognition—word length and age of acquisition—also escalates with grade level. Notably, 23% of rarer words are forms typically not taught in vocabulary instruction, such as proper names, while 76% of rare words belong to morphological families in the high-, medium-, and low-frequency word zones. These results highlight the need for targeted vocabulary instruction that incorporates the complexities of rarer word usage in authentic texts, ultimately aiming to enhance students’ reading comprehension.

  PublisherDOI

• Is Phonological-Only Instruction Helpful for Reading?: A Meta-Analysis

  Scientific Studies of Reading · 2024-04-13 · 4 citations

  article

  Purpose Phonological awareness (PA), the awareness of sounds in spoken words, is strongly linked to reading outcomes. However, there is an ongoing debate regarding the effectiveness of PA instruction without including print (i.e. PA without exposure to words or letters). Specifically, is PA-only instruction just as effective in improving reading outcomes when compared to print-based instruction (e.g. phonics)?

  PublisherDOI

• Following the Rules in an Unruly Writing System: The Cognitive Science of Learning to Read English

  The Reading Teacher · 2024-03-01 · 3 citations

  article1st authorCorresponding

  Abstract The core task of reading is to look at letters and identify their sounds and meaning. In English, the spelling system is quasiregular , meaning it includes many reliable patterns (some so reliable they could be called "rules") but also many inconsistent ones (the sound of EA in heat vs. head ). The triangle model of reading (Seidenberg & McClelland, 1989) demonstrates that novice readers gradually learn the connections between the features of words, including their letters, the ways they make sounds, and the concepts that comprise their meaning. Learners' knowledge changes gradually based on experience pronouncing printed words. Eventually, the reader will say words with variable patterns (like how to say EA ) correctly but be unable to articulate rules associated with their pronunciation—because rules are not an inherent part of the learning process. Building robust knowledge of reading words aloud sometimes happens without any help. However, novice readers will often learn more in less time if the teacher explains the structure of the language in terms of sound‐spelling rules (sometimes termed "patterns" to emphasize their variability). This type of instruction, phonics, has known value in supporting reading development. However, distinguishing between the underlying learning process (which doesn't involve rules) and associated teaching practices (which often do) has implications for practitioners. Students will benefit from a balance of implicit and explicit forms of instruction, including simple strategies for reading words, teaching high‐utility rules, emphasizing practice over explanation, and using letters when doing phonemic awareness activities.

  PublisherDOI

• Instruction to support word‐level reading skills for adolescent learners with learning disabilities

  Journal of Adolescent & Adult Literacy · 2024-11-20 · 1 citations

  articleOpen accessSenior author

  Abstract The middle and high school years represent a unique challenge for students who have not yet attained proficiency with word reading. By this time, it is generally expected that students will be able to independently read a variety of texts to gain content knowledge and to read for understanding. Students with or at‐risk for learning disabilities (LD) often struggle with acquisition of word‐level reading skills and these difficulties are amplified as words become increasing complex. By fifth grade, most of the new words introduced in text are multisyllabic, yet students often lack a systematic approach for decoding these words. Despite these challenges, teachers can effectively support secondary‐aged students with LD in developing the foundational word reading skills necessary for reading proficiency. In this article, we describe the critical role of word reading efficiency, unique challenges of multisyllabic word reading, and the importance of ongoing instructional support for students with LD. We then introduce four instructional routines that can be implemented to facilitate secondary students' acquisition of word‐level reading skills that also affirm and strength students' diverse cultural and linguistic backgrounds.

  PublisherOA PDFDOI

• Kindergarten Peer Assisted Learning Strategies

  2023-07-10

  book-chapterSenior author

  K-PALS activities are designed to improve students phonological awareness skills, increase their letter-sound and high-frequency word knowledge, and develop their decoding skills. K-PALS is an evidence-based practice supported by data from multiple studies. Because students are working with a partner and have tasks that fill the entire instructional period, the teacher can listen to a single student read. The author felt it would be a challenge to find a program that would be a good fit for all her students, who clearly presented with a wide range of skills and areas in need of support. K-PALS is not just a convenient way to manage whole-class activities; rather, it works because peer-mediated routines support student success and because research data show the effectiveness of K-PALS. They devised a monthly progress monitoring plan with all students who were identified as being below benchmark at the beginning of the year.

  PublisherDOI

• Evidence-Based Assessment in Special Education Research: Advancing the Use of Evidence in Assessment Tools and Empirical Processes

  Exceptional Children · 2023 · 47 citations

  • Computer Science
  • Artificial Intelligence
  • Psychology

  Evidence-based assessment (EBA) requires that investigators employ scientific theories and research findings to guide decisions about what domains to measure, how and when to measure them, and how to make decisions and interpret results. To implement EBA, investigators need high-quality assessment tools along with evidence-based processes. We advance EBA in three sections in this article. First, we describe an empirically grounded framework, the Operations Triad Model (OTM), to inform EBA decision-making in the articulation of relevant educational theory. Originally designed for interpreting mental health assessments, we describe features of the OTM that facilitate its fusion with educational theory, namely its falsifiability. In turn, we cite evidence to support the OTM's ability to inform hypothesis generation and testing, study design, instrument selection, and measurement validation. Second, we describe quality indicators for interpreting psychometric data about measurement tools, which informs both the development and selection of measures and the process of measurement validation. Third, we apply the OTM and EBA to research in special education in two contexts: (a) empirical research for causal explanation and (b) implementation science research. We provide open data resources to advance measurement validation and conclude with future directions for research.

  PublisherDOI

• Text Types and Their Relation to Efficacy in Beginning Reading Interventions

  Reading Research Quarterly · 2023-06-22 · 8 citations

  article

  Abstract Researchers disagree about the value of controlling the decodability of texts for students with reading difficulty, specifically what type of text they should read: decodable texts (words limited to taught patterns), nondecodable texts (those not limited by instruction), or both . We analyzed the effects of reading intervention for elementary‐age students with reading difficulty ( k = 119) to determine whether effects varied by the type of texts students read—decodable, nondecodable, or both—compared with interventions without text reading. Inadequate information was available to code text type for 22 interventions including text reading; effect sizes were calculated for 97 studies. Effects for interventions with decodable or nondecodable reading did not differ from no‐text interventions . For both types of interventions, the effect ( g = 0.28) approached significance versus no‐text, 95% CI [−0.09, 0.65]. Disaggregating effects by whether the measures were standardized or researcher‐designed showed a significant both‐types effect, g = 0.45, 95% CI [0.02, 0.89] relative to no‐text. Disaggregating by whether outcomes were for word recognition or reading comprehension showed a positive both‐types effect for word recognition outcomes; data were inadequate to examine comprehension. A possible confounding effect of time spent reading was tested but was uncorrelated with the intervention effect. The both‐types finding suggests the possible value of varied reading experiences in intervention, but this analysis did not account for other factors that might be correlated with text type and the intervention effect. Furthermore, more comprehensive reporting about text types is important for replication and meta‐analytic review.

  PublisherDOI

Frequent coauthors

• Donald L. Compton

  13 shared

• Douglas Fuchs

  Vanderbilt University

  12 shared

• Jennifer K. Gilbert

  Vanderbilt University

  9 shared

• Fumiko Hoeft

  University of Connecticut

  9 shared

• Marney S. Pollack

  Vanderbilt University

  8 shared

• Christopher J. Lemons

  Stanford University

  8 shared

• Cheryl P. Lyon

  7 shared

• Erin K. Hogan

  University of Louisville Hospital

  6 shared

Education

• Ph.D., Special Education

  Vanderbilt University

  2010

• M.A. in Elementary Literacy and Language Arts, Education

  Loyola Marymount University

  2004

• B.A., History; Government

  Georgetown University

  1998

Awards & honors

• Awards for his research and advocacy from Vanderbilt Univers…
• Awards for his research and advocacy from the Windward Insti…
• Awards for his research and advocacy from the University of…