LSU Learning Lab for Dyslexia & Reading Research

At LSU, being Louisiana’s flagship university means more than preparing students for careers. It means using our expertise, research, and resources to improve the lives of people across our state.

The LSU Learning Lab for Dyslexia & Reading Research puts that mission into action.

This community-based learning lab brings together graduate education, dyslexia and literacy research, hands-on teaching experience, and free literacy services in one place. LSU graduate students gain real-world experience working with children who struggle to read, including children who demonstrate characteristics of dyslexia. Families receive evidence-based literacy support at no cost. LSU faculty and students conduct research on literacy assessment, reading instruction, interventions, and practices to improve reading outcomes in Louisiana and beyond.

By connecting research, teacher expertise, and community-based literacy services, the Learning Lab creates opportunities for knowledge developed at LSU to move into classrooms, schools, and communities across Louisiana.

Graduate Studies + Real Impact

For students pursuing a Reading Specialist Add-On Endorsement, the LSU Learning Lab for Dyslexia & Reading Research provides something a classroom alone cannot: the opportunity to put graduate-level study into practice with real children and real research reading challenges.

Graduate students enrolled in LSU’s reading specialist courses will complete a supervised practicum in the Learning Lab, gaining experience in:

• Literacy assessment
• Evidence-based reading instruction
• Structured literacy practices
• Approaches informed by the science of reading
• Individualized and small-group reading intervention
• Monitoring student progress
• Designing instruction based on individual reading needs
• Supporting children with persistent reading difficulties and characteristics of dyslexia

Students work under the supervision of the LSU School of Education literacy faculty, connecting graduate coursework, literacy research, and evidence-based practice.

This combination of advanced study and applied experience prepares graduate students to become stronger literacy professionals who can bring research-based approaches to schools, classrooms, and communities.

A Place for Children to Become Stronger Readers: Reading & Dyslexia Support

The LSU Learning Lab for Dyslexia & Reading Research will serve elementary-age children in the community who experience persistent reading difficulties or characteristics of dyslexia.

Services will include:

• Literacy screening
• Individualized and small-group reading instruction
• Evidence-based, structured literacy intervention
• Ongoing progress monitoring
• Resources and information for families

During the Fall 2026 launch, LSU graduate students will provide six weeks of targeted reading instruction at no cost to children experiencing reading difficulties.

The Learning Lab will initially have approximately 20–25 openings, with a waiting list established once spaces are filled.

Dyslexia & Reading Resources for Families

If your child is struggling to read, you are not alone, and getting the right support can make a difference.

The LSU Learning Lab for Dyslexia & Reading Research provides families with access to trained educators, evidence-based literacy practices, structured literacy approaches, and LSU expertise at no cost during the pilot program.

Children will participate in an initial intake and literacy assessment process to help identify their specific reading needs. Instruction will then be tailored to those needs.

The Learning Lab will also serve as a hub for literacy and dyslexia resources in Louisiana, connecting families with information and evidence-based practices they can use beyond the lab.

Who can participate?

The Fall 2026 Learning Lab is designed for elementary-age children who experience persistent reading difficulties or characteristics of dyslexia.

Space is limited.

Fall 2026 Learning Lab At-a-Glance

When: Tuesdays and Thursdays, 4:45–5:45 p.m.
Dates: September 22–November 5, 2026
Location: 225 Peabody Hall | LSU Campus
Cost: No cost to participating families
Capacity: Approximately 20–25 children

The Learning Lab will operate after school and is designed to make participation accessible to families in the community.

Fall 2026 instruction begins September 22. The Lab will be closed on October 13 and 15.

REGISTER YOUR CHILD FOR THE Learning Lab

A Place to Learn What Works: Advancing Dyslexia & Literacy Research at LSU

The LSU Learning Lab for Dyslexia & Reading isn't just a place to teach. It's a place to learn what works.

LSU literacy faculty and graduate students will use the Learning Lab as a dyslexia and literacy research site to study literacy assessment, evidence-based reading instruction, structured literacy, and reading intervention. This work creates opportunities to better understand how research-informed approaches can support children with persistent reading difficulties and characteristics of dyslexia.

Research findings can inform the preparation of future educators, strengthen literacy practices, and contribute to better services for children and families. Just as importantly, the Learning Lab provides a setting where graduate education, research, and practice intersect.

That creates a powerful cycle:

Research → Practice → Learning → Impact

Knowledge generated at LSU can move into classrooms, schools, and communities, helping educators and other practitioners make better decisions about how to support struggling readers and improve literacy outcomes.

For Louisiana, that connection matters. By bringing together literacy research, graduate student preparation, evidence-based reading practices, and direct community engagement, LSU can contribute knowledge and prepare professionals equipped to address reading challenges in schools and communities across the state.

That is the advantage of doing this work at a Research 1 flagship university. Students don't simply learn established practices. They become part of a research community working to understand, evaluate, and improve them.

The Lab’s role reflects the College of Human Sciences & Education's commitment to improving quality of life across the lifespan.

A child gets the reading support they need.

A literacy graduate student develops the expertise to become a stronger literacy professional.

Faculty and graduate students generate research that can improve practice.

Educators gain knowledge that can strengthen literacy instruction.

And that knowledge can ultimately reach schools, families, and communities across Louisiana and beyond.

One learning lab. Multiple pathways to impact.

Ready to Geaux Change Lives?

Meet the Faculty

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