Personal statement

Dr Georgia Niolaki is a Senior Lecturer in SpLD/Dyslexia and Inclusion at Bath Spa University and Visiting Research Associate at the Institute of Education, University of London. She is a Professional Member of the British Psychological Society, the Experimental Psychological Society and the British Dyslexia Association (she holds AMBDA and AMBDA FE/HE). She's a Trustee of the British Dyslexia Association and the North Warwickshire & Coventry Dyslexia Association, and Deputy Adult Representative of the Local Dyslexia Association Board.

Georgia started her career working with children in primary education and assessing and supporting children with special needs. Since 2011 she's been teaching in Higher Education, and she is a Senior Fellow of the Higher Education Academy. Georgia has published a number of papers in national and international journals and presented her work at many conferences. She is the Principal Investigator on educational/literacy research projects funded by several organisations, such as the BA/Leverhulme Small Research Grants, The British Academy.

Georgia’s mission is to support individuals who struggle with literacy and help the world become an inclusive environment for everyone!

Academic qualifications

  • (2015-2016) University of Birmingham, PGCert Language Literacies and Dyslexia, AMBDA primary and FE/HE, Birmingham, England, United Kingdom
  • (2014-2015) Coventry University, PGCert, Teaching in HE, Coventry, England, United Kingdom
  • (2010-2014) University College London, PhD, Cognitive Psychology and Psycholinguistics, London, England, United Kingdom
  • (2007-2009) University College London, MA Literacy Learning and Literacy Difficulties, London, United Kingdom
  • (1994-1998) University of Thrace, BA (Hons) Primary Education, Greece

Professional memberships

  • Member of The British Psychological Society (BPS) (CPsychol 352541)
  • Member of The British Dyslexia Association (BDA)
  • Member of the European Association of Developmental Psychology (EADP)
  • Member of the UK Literacy Association (UKLA)
  • Member of the Patoss
  • Member of the SpLD Assessment Standards Committee (SASC) 2016 – present
  • Member of the Experimental Psychological Society (EPS) 2018-present
  • Member of the Scientific Society for Research on Learning Disorders 2020-present
  • Member of The Society of Scientific Studies of Reading (SSSR)

Other external roles

  • Trustee of the British Dyslexia Association
  • Trustee of the North Warwickshire & Coventry Dyslexia Association
  • Deputy Adult Representative of the Local Dyslexia Association Board
  • AMBDA primary/secondary & AMBDA FE/HE
  • Visiting Research Associate IoE, UCL
  • Hourly Paid Lecturer (Research project supervision), School of Psychology, Coventry University

Guest Reviewer for Journals:

  • Journal of Research in Reading 2012-present
  • PLOS one 2012-present
  • Writing Systems research 2012-present
  • Journal of Applied school psychology 2019-present
  • Journal of Educational Computing Research 2020
  • Learning Disabilities: A Contemporary Journal (LDCJ) 2020
  • International Journal of Speech-Language Pathology 2020
  • British Journal of Educational Psychology 2020
  • Reading & Writing: An Interdisciplinary Journal, 2021
  • Frontiers in Educational Psychology 2020- present

External Examiner:

  • MRes Thesis Examination Macquarie University, Sydney 2018
  • PhD Thesis Examination Macquarie University, Sydney 2020
  • MRes Brain and Cognitive Sciences, Literature Review Examination, University of Amsterdam, 2019

External Reviewer for Grant proposals:

  • RESEARCH PROMOTION FOUNDATION’S IRIS (H2020) 2018
  • RESEARCH PROMOTION FOUNDATION’S IRIS (H2020) 2019

Teaching specialisms

SpLDs (i.e., Dyslexia), Literacy (reading and spelling) Development, Educational Psychology

Impact

BiLex: A Psycholinguistic Database for Bilingual Children (see more)

  • Funder: Early Career Researcher Funding Schemes: 2016-17, Pump-prime funding
  • Value:£8,288.14
  • Collaborators: Georgia Niolaki, Aris Terzopoulos
  • Project Objectives: The aim of the proposed project is to develop an online open access developmental word database, BiLex, for bilingual children learning Greek or English as an additional language. Its template will be HelexKids, the online word database for Greek 6-12 years old monolingual children.

A new spelling test for primary school children (see more)

  • Funder: BA/Leverhulme Small Research Grants
  • Value: £9,994.40
  • Collaborators: Georgia Niolaki, Janet Vousden, Laura Taylor, Professor Jackie Masterson
  • Project Team:Georgia Niolaki, Janet Vousden, Laura Taylor, Luisa Tarczynski-Bowles, Donna-Lyn Sepherd & Lauren Debney
  • Project objectives: Research in spelling is sparse in comparison to reading; this is the case although children, adolescents and adults significantly underperform in spelling and spelling difficulties are not easily mitigated in comparison to reading. We are interested in the development of a new spelling battery for primary school children. This new test will include a large number of different psycholinguistic variables and will have the potential to be an effective tool for spelling intervention studies.

Other projects

  • British Psychological Society Undergraduate Research Assistantship Scheme 2019 £1,600 payment for Alexandra Negoita (Research Student) to work on the project ‘Every Letter Counts in the New Interpretive Spelling Test for Primary School Children’
  • British Psychological Society Undergraduate Research Assistantship Scheme 2020 £2,200 payment for Isabella Barry (Research Student) to work on the project ‘Is it hair or hare? What predicts spelling skill using a New Interpretive Spelling Test for Primary School Children’

Research and academic outputs

Go to ResearchSPAce

Psychology and educational inclusion: identifying and supporting learners with SEN
book

Niolaki, G.Z, Carr-Fanning, K and Terzopoulos, A, eds. (2023) Psychology and educational inclusion: identifying and supporting learners with SEN. Open University Press, Maidenhead. ISBN 9780335251780

Bilingualism, second language learning and developmental differences
book_section

Terzopoulos, A, Niolaki, G.Z and Masterson, J (2023) 'Bilingualism, second language learning and developmental differences.' In: Niolaki, G.Z, Carr-Fanning, K and Terzopoulos, A, eds. Psychology and educational inclusion: identifying and supporting learners with SEN. Open University Press, Maidenhead, pp. 231-245. ISBN 9780335251780

Dyslexia: recognition of needs and overcoming literacy barriers through evidence-based practices
book_section

Niolaki, G.Z, Terzopoulos, A, Donovan, J and Masterson, J (2023) 'Dyslexia: recognition of needs and overcoming literacy barriers through evidence-based practices.' In: Niolaki, G.Z, Carr-Fanning, K and Terzopoulos, A, eds. Psychology and educational inclusion: identifying and supporting learners with SEN. Open University Press, Maidenhead, pp. 133-150. ISBN 9780335251780

Spelling difficulty in a 10-year-old trilingual child: a case study and report of an effective intervention programme
book_section

Niolaki, G.Z (2015) 'Spelling difficulty in a 10-year-old trilingual child: a case study and report of an effective intervention programme.' In: Safont Jordà, M.P and Portolés Falomir, L, eds. Learning and using multiple languages: current findings from research on multilingualism. Cambridge Scholars Publishing, Newcastle upon Tyne, pp. 82-110. ISBN 9781443871822

Increasing awareness of dyslexia; a knowledge exchange project linking schools, the Gloucestershire Dyslexia Association (GDA), and Bath Spa University
article

Niolaki, G.Z, Terzopoulos, A, Hawkins, W, Hamilton, L, Goff, I, Penketh, C and the Gloucestershire Dyslexia Association, (2024) 'Increasing awareness of dyslexia; a knowledge exchange project linking schools, the Gloucestershire Dyslexia Association (GDA), and Bath Spa University.' Patoss Bulletin, 37 (1). ISSN 1476-1521

Greek-spelling predictors; an investigation of literacy- and cognitive-related factors
article

Niolaki, G.Z, Papadimitriou, V, Terzopoulos, A.R and Masterson, J (2024) 'Greek-spelling predictors; an investigation of literacy- and cognitive-related factors.' Journal of Cognitive Psychology, 36 (3). pp. 378-393. ISSN 2044-5911

Systematic literature review: intervention programmes to support dyslexic children 5- 13 years
article

Edge, J, Terzopoulos, A and Niolaki, G.Z (2023) 'Systematic literature review: intervention programmes to support dyslexic children 5- 13 years.' Patoss Bulletin, 36 (2). ISSN 1476-1521

What spelling errors can tell us about the development of processes involved in children’s spelling
article

Niolaki, G.Z, Negoita, A, Vousden, J.I, Terzopoulos, A.R, Taylor, L and Masterson, J (2023) 'What spelling errors can tell us about the development of processes involved in children’s spelling.' Frontiers in Psychology, 14. e1178427. ISSN 1664-1078

Eastern European parents' experiences of parenting a child with SEN in England
article

Marku, B, Niolaki, G.Z, Terzopoulos, A and Wood, C (2022) 'Eastern European parents' experiences of parenting a child with SEN in England.' Educational Psychology in Practice, 38 (3). pp. 297-316. ISSN 0266-7363

Spelling predictors; investigating the role of phonological ability and rapid naming in a large cross-sectional British study
article

Niolaki, G.Z, Vousden, J, Terzopoulos, A, Shepherd, D-L, Debney, L and Masterson, J (2022) 'Spelling predictors; investigating the role of phonological ability and rapid naming in a large cross-sectional British study.' Learning and Instruction, 80. e101635. ISSN 0959-4752

Spelling performance of 6- and 8-year-old Irish children: is it or ?
article

Spruhan, H, Niolaki, G.Z, Vousden, J, Terzopoulos, A and Masterson, J (2022) 'Spelling performance of 6- and 8-year-old Irish children: is it or ?' The Journal of Educational Research, 115 (1). pp. 87-97. ISSN 1940-0675

More than phonics: visual imagery and flashcard interventions for bilingual learners with spelling difficulties
article

Niolaki, G.Z, Terzopoulos, A.R and Masterson, J (2021) 'More than phonics: visual imagery and flashcard interventions for bilingual learners with spelling difficulties.' Patoss Bulletin, 34 (2). pp. 14-25. ISSN 1476-1521

A linguistic awareness intervention targeting spelling and written expression in a 10-year-old dyslexic child
article

Niolaki, G.Z, Vousden, J, Terzopoulos, A, Taylor, L and Masterson, J (2021) 'A linguistic awareness intervention targeting spelling and written expression in a 10-year-old dyslexic child.' Προσχολική & Σχολική Εκπαίδευση = Preschool and Primary Education, 9 (1). pp. 1-27. ISSN 2241-7206

Predictors of single word spelling in English speaking children: a cross sectional study
article

Niolaki, G.Z, Vousden, J, Terzopoulos, A.R, Taylor, L.M, Sephton, S and Masterson, J (2020) 'Predictors of single word spelling in English speaking children: a cross sectional study.' Journal of Research in Reading, 43 (4). pp. 577-596. ISSN 0141-0423

Literacy difficulties in higher education: identifying students’ needs with a hybrid model
article

Niolaki, G.Z, Taylor, L.M, Terzopoulos, A and Davies, R (2020) 'Literacy difficulties in higher education: identifying students’ needs with a hybrid model.' Educational & Child Psychology, 37 (2). ISSN 0267-1611

Intervention for a visual attention span processing deficit in a Greek-speaking child with slow reading speed
article

Niolaki, G.Z, Terzopoulos, A and Masterson, J (2020) 'Intervention for a visual attention span processing deficit in a Greek-speaking child with slow reading speed.' Προσχολική & Σχολική Εκπαίδευση = Preschool and Primary Education, 8 (1). pp. 1-30. ISSN 2241-7206

Intervention for a lexical reading and spelling difficulty in two Greek-speaking primary age children
article

Terzopoulos, A.R, Niolaki, G.Z and Masterson, J (2020) 'Intervention for a lexical reading and spelling difficulty in two Greek-speaking primary age children.' Neuropsychological Rehabilitation, 30 (3). pp. 371-392. ISSN 0960-2011

HelexKids: a word frequency database for Greek and Cypriot primary school children
article

Terzopoulos, A.R, Duncan, L.G, Wilson, M.A.J, Niolaki, G.Z and Masterson, J (2017) 'HelexKids: a word frequency database for Greek and Cypriot primary school children.' Behavior Research Methods, 49 (1). pp. 83-96. ISSN 1554-3528

A sublexical training study for spelling in a biliterate Greek- and English-speaking child
article

Niolaki, G.Z, Terzopoulos, A.R and Masterson, J (2017) 'A sublexical training study for spelling in a biliterate Greek- and English-speaking child.' Neuropsychological Rehabilitation, 27 (4). pp. 540-562. ISSN 0960-2011

Spelling improvement through letter-sound and whole-word training in two multilingual Greek- and English- speaking children
article

Niolaki, G.Z, Masterson, J and Terzopoulos, A.R (2014) 'Spelling improvement through letter-sound and whole-word training in two multilingual Greek- and English- speaking children.' Multilingual Education, 4. e20. ISSN 2191-5059

Varieties of developmental dyslexia in Greek children
article

Niolaki, G.Z, Terzopoulos, A.R and Masterson, J (2014) 'Varieties of developmental dyslexia in Greek children.' Writing Systems Research, 6 (2). pp. 230-256. ISSN 1758-6801

Intervention for a multi-character processing deficit in a Greek-speaking child with surface dyslexia
article

Niolaki, G.Z and Masterson, J (2013) 'Intervention for a multi-character processing deficit in a Greek-speaking child with surface dyslexia.' Cognitive Neuropsychology, 30 (4). pp. 208-232. ISSN 0264-3294

Transfer effects in spelling from transparent Greek to opaque English in seven-to-ten-year-old children
article

Niolaki, G.Z and Masterson, J (2012) 'Transfer effects in spelling from transparent Greek to opaque English in seven-to-ten-year-old children.' Bilingualism: Language and Cognition, 15 (4). pp. 757-770. ISSN 1366-7289

Dyslexia's diagnostic lottery: a call for better parent-school partnerships
other

McFadden, J and Niolaki, G.Z (2022) Dyslexia's diagnostic lottery: a call for better parent-school partnerships. BPS West Midlands Newsletter, Jan.