How blind children learn words and build vocabulary
Official title: Word Learning and Vocabulary Development in Blind Children
Funded at Northern Illinois University · NIH-11166521 · Data updated 2026-11-12
Comparing how blind and sighted children ages 5–12 learn words and grow their vocabularies.
Quick facts
| Grant type | NIH-funded research |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Northern Illinois University NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (De Kalb, United States) |
| Project start | September 30, 2023 |
| Project end | July 31, 2027 |
| Funding year | 2025 |
| Award (this year) | $186,250 |
| NIH project number | 5R16EY036101-03 |
| Project ID | NIH-11166521 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Children who are blind aged about 5 to 12 years; sighted children in the same age range may also be eligible as comparison participants.
✕Less likely to help
Adults, children outside the 5–12 age range, or people without vision differences are unlikely to gain direct benefit from participating.
What this research studies
This project compares blind and sighted children’s word learning and vocabulary growth by asking about how individual words were learned and by measuring vocabulary across ages 5 to 12. Researchers will use an observational cross-sectional design and collect self-reports about whether words were learned through speech, writing, or direct perceptual experience. The study will compare patterns between blind and sighted children for individual words and model vocabulary trajectories across childhood. Results are intended to inform schooling and instruction for blind children.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: Could lead to better teaching strategies and materials that help blind children learn words and improve reading outcomes.
How similar studies have gone: Research on word learning in blind children is limited, so direct comparative work is relatively novel though smaller studies have suggested differences in learning routes.
Where this research is happening
-
Northern Illinois University
De Kalb, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Harris, Lindsay Nicole-Porrino — Northern Illinois University
- Study coordinator: Harris, Lindsay Nicole-Porrino
About this research
- This is an active NIH-funded research project — typically early-stage science, not a clinical trial accepting patient enrollment.
- Some NIH-funded labs run parallel clinical studies or seek volunteers for related work. To check, contact the principal investigator or institution listed above.
- For full project details, budget, and progress reports, visit the official NIH RePORTER page.