Tara Savage
she/her
The Reading Lab
The Reading Lab is a teacher-led reading intervention for students aged 8–12 with Dyslexia. It supports learning support teachers in delivering structured phonics sessions without requiring specialist expertise.
The focus is phonological awareness, the foundational skill underpinning reading. The project is grounded in Specific Learning Difficulty (SpLD) teaching methods for dyslexic learners, using a multisensory, step-by-step approach shown by structured literacy research to be effective.
This is a personal project: I have dyslexia. To access specialised dyslexic support, I spent two years full-time in an SpLD reading class, leaving my mainstream school and friends and travelling daily by taxi, before returning to mainstream education for sixth class. Places in these schools are extremely difficult to secure.
The aim of the project is to equip teachers in mainstream schools with techniques proven to support dyslexic students. To ensure relevance, I visited a local primary school and worked closely with staff and students.
The Reading Lab features two tailored visual systems, one designed for learning support teachers and one for students, creating experiences that respond to the distinct needs of each user group.
Designed to be used during learning support.
Teacher View: Designed for track multiple students, log sessions, access strategies, and understand progress, all during within a short 1:1 session window.
Student View: Designed around structured lessons that feel engaging.
The Reading Lab was designed with accessibility at its core, supporting the needs of dyslexic students through thoughtful and inclusive design choices.
Research
Initial user testing was conducted in a school setting with teachers.
Multiple rounds of testing were carried out to inform and refine design decisions.
Design was tested with teachers.
The design was tested through one-to-one sessions with both teachers and students to gather valuable feedback and insights.