Natalia Manay has relocated from St. Catharine’s to spend her summer working in Ottawa. The fourth-year Brock University psychology major received a 3rd Year Undergraduate Summer Research Assistantship grant from the Canadian Language and Literacy Research Network (CLLRNet). Manay applied for the funding so that she could conduct research alongside Jo-Anne LeFevre, professor, department of psychology.
“I chose Carleton mainly because I was really interested in Dr. Jo-Anne LeFevre’s research projects,” said Manay. “But I also thought it would be a great opportunity to get to know Canada’s capital better. Carleton seemed like a great school with a beautiful campus, in addition to being located in a wonderful city.”
LeFevre’s research examines the strategies early learning and child care (ELCC) practitioners use to facilitate children’s early numeracy and pre-reading skills. The project, Who’s Counting?, is funded by CLLRNet and the Canadian Council on Learning (CCL) and is being conducted in partnership with the Canadian Child Care Federation (CCCF). Along with the CCCF and researchers from Concordia and University of Winnipeg, Lefevre and her team are investigating the knowledge, beliefs and practices of ELCC practitioners from across Canada regarding early childcare experiences in relation to numeracy and literacy.
Her role as a research assistance will further Manay’s knowledge in child development and the acquisition of numeracy and literacy skills. She is particularly interested in the emphasis placed on the development of numeracy skills an issue that she says has been overlooked in Canada.
“Through my experience as a summer research assistant at Carleton, I hope to gain a better understanding of research in the fields of psychology and child development,” said Manay.