About

Colby Hall is an Associate Professor at the UVA School of Education and Human Development, specializing in literacy development, assessment, and instruction. Her research focuses on identifying components of effective literacy instruction for elementary and middle-school students, including those with or at risk for literacy-learning difficulties. She investigates inference instruction as a means to improve reading comprehension, reading instruction for bilingual and multilingual students, and the use of technology in delivering reading education. Dr. Hall is the principal investigator on projects funded by the Office of Special Education Programs and the Institute of Education Sciences, aiming to adapt and develop reading interventions for diverse student populations, particularly emergent bilingual students and middle schoolers. She is also involved in multiple projects supported by the U.S. Department of Education, National Institutes of Health, and Virginia Department of Education, all targeting improvements in literacy outcomes for students.

Research topics

• Psychology
• Linguistics
• Medicine
• Mathematics education
• Computer Science
• Developmental psychology
• Mathematics
• Statistics

Selected publications

• Centering students with learning disabilities in intervention research: Implications for educational theory

  Educational Psychologist · 2025-06-12 · 4 citations

  articleOpen access

  The amount of time students with learning disabilities (LD) spend in general education classes has steadily increased over the past half century. This article addresses the need to investigate the impact of class-wide instructional approaches for students with and without LD in general education settings. We describe the process of developing and testing two class-wide, inclusive instructional programs that have yielded meaningful impacts on reading outcomes for students with and without disabilities and influenced educational theories. To advance educational psychology research, theory, and practice, we also present recommendations for conducting rigorous intervention research that can improve understanding of the best ways to support the reading development of students with LD in inclusive settings.

  PublisherOA PDFDOI

• Piloting an approach to family-implemented decoding instruction for kindergarten-aged children

  Early Childhood Research Quarterly · 2025-01-01

  article1st authorCorresponding
  PublisherDOI

• Content analysis of state-level review materials for K-2 core literacy curricula

  Annals of Dyslexia · 2025-06-05 · 2 citations

  articleOpen access

  Within the last two decades, several states have enacted literacy-related legislation with the goal of improving national literacy outcomes for students. In alignment with this legislation, some states have undertaken a core literacy curriculum review process. These processes often involve the development and implementation of an evaluation system (e.g., rubric, checklist), resulting in a list of approved, high-quality, core literacy curricula that school systems are either required or recommended to adopt. However, little is known about the materials states use to review core literacy curricula. This study sought to identify which states engage in the review of K-2 core literacy curricula and to examine the materials they use to identify high-quality curricula. A content analysis of K-2 core literacy curriculum review materials from 24 states revealed large variability across materials. Overall, there was preliminary support of evidence-based content and pedagogy reflected in the materials. At the same time, there was potential for better alignment with some evidence-based practices. Further examination of K-2 core literacy curriculum review materials and the processes in which they are used is crucial to ensure clarity and consistency for educators, policymakers, and publishers. With sustained focus on evidence-based approaches and cross-state collaboration and alignment, there exists the potential to create meaningful and lasting improvements in literacy instruction and outcomes for all students.

  PublisherOA PDFDOI

• Examining the Effects of Family-Implemented Literacy Interventions for School-Aged Children: A Meta-Analysis

  Educational Psychology Review · 2025-01-25 · 12 citations

  articleOpen access

  Abstract There is considerable research evaluating the effects of family members implementing shared book reading interventions, especially during early childhood. However, less is known about the effects of family members providing instruction to help their school-aged children develop literacy skills, including both code-focused and meaning-focused skills that facilitate reading comprehension. The purpose of this meta-analysis was to describe and evaluate recent research examining the effects of at-home, family-implemented literacy interventions for school-aged children. A total of 25 interventions across 22 studies (12 with group designs and 10 with single-case experimental designs) were analyzed. The average effect on combined literacy outcomes was estimated as g = 0.36 ( p < .01; Q = 191.83; I 2 = 36.17) for group design studies and g = 1.50 ( p < .01; Q = 114.58; I 2 = 38.58) for single-case experimental design studies. Notably, for group design studies, effects varied by literacy outcome type. The mean effect for code-focused outcomes (i.e., PA, decoding/word reading, spelling, text reading) was g = 0.28 ( p < .01) and the mean effect for meaning-focused outcomes (i.e., vocabulary, listening comprehension, reading comprehension) was g = 0.41 ( p < .01). Overall, these findings support the implementation of family-delivered literacy interventions to improve literacy outcomes for school-aged children. At the same time, this meta-analysis revealed the paucity of research examining the effects of family-implemented literacy interventions, especially for older children, indicating a need for more research on this topic.

  PublisherOA PDFDOI

• Analyzing Alphabet Knowledge Acquisition in Young Children

  Reading & Writing Quarterly · 2025-01-09

  article
  PublisherDOI

• Literacy legislation in practice: implementation, impact, and emerging lessons

  Annals of Dyslexia · 2025-10-01 · 1 citations

  editorialOpen access
  PublisherOA PDFDOI

• Elementary educator self-efficacy and knowledge to teach reading

  Teachers and Teaching · 2025-06-27 · 1 citations

  article
  PublisherDOI

• A meta-analysis of technology-delivered literacy instruction for elementary students

  Educational Technology Research and Development · 2024-03-18 · 10 citations

  articleOpen access

  Abstract Technology to support student learning has become increasingly prevalent in schools and homes during the last few decades. Several recent reviews have examined aspects of technology-based literacy instruction, but they have not focused on the full array of literacy skills that can be addressed during technology-delivered instruction for elementary students, nor have they utilized meta-analytic methods to rigorously examine effects of such instruction. Therefore, the purpose of this meta-analysis was to describe and evaluate recent research on technology-delivered literacy instruction for students in Grades K-5. A total of 53 experimental or quasi-experimental studies were analyzed. Results demonstrated a statistically significant main effect of instruction on norm- or criterion-referenced literacy outcomes ( g = 0.24, p < .001), indicating that elementary students are likely to benefit from technology-delivered literacy instruction. Although the effects of several moderator variables representing study, participant, instruction, and outcome characteristics were explored, analyses revealed no statistically significant moderators of effects of instruction. Overall, findings indicate that further research on technology-based literacy instruction is needed to determine what works for whom and under what conditions.

  PublisherOA PDFDOI

• Effects of fatigue on activities of daily living in adults diagnosed with cardiovascular disease

  Holmes Museum Of Anthropology (Wichita State University) · 2024-04-26

  other

  Presented to the 20th Annual Symposium on Graduate Research and Scholarly Projects (GRASP) held at the Rhatigan Student Center, Wichita State University, April 26, 2024.

  Publisher

• A Randomized Controlled Trial of Tutor- and Computer-Delivered Inferential Comprehension Interventions for Middle School Students with Reading Difficulties

  Scientific Studies of Reading · 2024-04-03 · 4 citations

  articleOpen access

  Purpose An inferential comprehension intervention addressing reading comprehension difficulties of middle schoolers was tested.

  PublisherOA PDFDOI

Frequent coauthors

• Katlynn Dahl‐Leonard

  The University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston

  35 shared

• Philip Capin

  Harvard University

  26 shared

• Eunsoo Cho

  Vanderbilt University

  24 shared

• Emily J. Solari

  University of Virginia

  22 shared

• Karen F. Kehoe

  Middle Tennessee State University

  19 shared

• Sharon Vaughn

  The University of Texas at Austin

  17 shared

• Anna‐Mária Fall

  The University of Texas at Austin

  7 shared

• Tricia A. Zucker

  The University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston

  7 shared

Labs

• Reading and Academic Development Research GroupPI

Education

• Ph.D., Special Education

  University of Texas at Austin

  2016

• M.A., Inclusive Elementary Education

  Teachers College of Columbia University

  2007

• A.B., Literature

  Harvard College

  2002