Contact
Biography
Jennifer has been lecturing in literacy in Marino Institute of Education since 2012. She qualified as a primary teacher in 2003 (DCU, St Patrick’s College), completed an MEd (Literacy) in 2008 (DCU, St Patrick’s College), and was awarded a PhD in education (phonemic awareness and early reading development) from Trinity College Dublin in 2019. During her time teaching, Jennifer also worked as an associate and facilitator with the National Induction Programme for Teachers (NIPT). She currently sits on MIE’s Academic Council.
Rannóg/Section
Department of English and Roinn na Gaeilge
Qualifications
BA (Humanities) Psychology; Literature
Grad. Dip in Ed. (Primary Teaching)
M.Ed (Reading)
PhD in Ed. (Phonemic awareness and early reading development)
Teaching
BEd 3: English Methods
BEd 3: Literacy Education: Teacher Competence and Knowledge
PME 1: English Methods and Competence
Current Research and Funding
In 2020, Jennifer and colleagues in Marino Institute of Education and Trinity College Dublin were awarded an Enterprise Ireland grant (€15,000) to investigate the feasibility of a phonological awareness screening and monitoring app, based on Jennifer’s doctoral research.
General Research and Professional Interests
Jennifer is interested in early reading development and, in particular, the development and assessment of young children’s phonological awareness. She is also interested in visual literacy and the use of quality children’s literature in the classroom.
Publications
O’Sullivan, J. (2017). Phonemic awareness: A sound beginning for reading. In B. Culligan & G. Mehigan (Ed.), Exploring the Literacy Landscape: Celebrating 40 Years of Research and Practice (pp. 95-103). Dublin: Literacy Association of Ireland.
Cura, M., Fiorentini, C. M., Mehigan, G., & O’Sullivan, J. (2019). Sounds Like Phonics Programme (four classroom textbooks, teachers’ manual and digital interactive component). Dublin: CJ Fallons.
O’Sullivan, J. (forthcoming). A Sound Foundation for Reading: A Phonological Awareness Programme. Dublin: CJ Fallons.
Conferences
O’Sullivan, J. (2020). Prevention is better than cure: Phonemic awareness and early reading. Paper presented at the Educational Studies Association of Ireland Virtual Conference, Dublin.
O’Sullivan, J. (2019). Close encounters of the visual kind: Visual literacy and close reading. Paper presented at the Literacy Association of Ireland Conference, DCU, Dublin.
O’Sullivan, J. (2017). Close encounters of the visual kind: Close reading and visual literacy. Paper presented at the International Literacy Association Conference, Florida.
O’Sullivan, J. (2016). The impact of definitions of phonemic awareness on professional content knowledge. Paper presented at the Kaleidoscope Conference, Faculty of Education, University of Cambridge.
O’Sullivan, J. (2016). Phonemic awareness: A sound beginning for reading. Paper presented at the Literacy Association of Ireland, Marino Institute of Education, Dublin.
O’Sullivan, J. (2013). Comprehension strategy instruction using wordless picture books. Paper presented at the Reading Association of Ireland, Marino Institute of Education, Dublin.
O’Sullivan, J. (2008). Teaching children to become visually literate. Paper presented as the Teachers as Researchers Conference, Dublin City University, Dublin.
O’Sullivan, J. (2008). In other words: Reading the visual. Paper presented at the Reading Association of Ireland Conference, The Church of Ireland College of Education, Dublin.
Seminars
O’Sullivan, J. (2012). Reading the visual. Seminar presented in The Ark, Dublin.
O’Sullivan, J. (2013). Questioning the visual. Seminar presented in The National Gallery, Dublin.
O’Sullivan, J. (2014). Phonological awareness development in the classroom. Seminar presented on behalf of the Literacy Association of Ireland, Marino Institute of Education, Dublin.
O’Sullivan, J. (2015). Foundations for beginning readers. In-service summer course provided to teachers, Marino Institute of Education, Dublin.
O’Sullivan, J. (2018). Sound beginnings for early reading. Seminar presented to speech and language therapists as part of the In-school and Pre-school Therapy Support Demonstration Project.
O’Sullivan, J. (March, 2019). Laying the foundations for early reading. Spring seminar presented on behalf of the Literacy Association of Ireland, Marino Institute of Education, Dublin.
O’Sullivan, J. (November, 2019). Sound foundations for reading. Laois Education Centre, Laois.
Webinars
Fiorentini, C. M., & O’Sullivan, J. (April, 2020). Literacy in the kitchen. Presented as part of the TCD webinar Literacy on the Loose. This webinar can be retrieved at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rFAGWZmvqvY
Concannon-Gibney, T., & O’Sullivan, J. (June, 2020). What matters most … in early years literacy instruction. Presented on behalf of the Education Centres of Ireland and the Literacy Association of Ireland. This webinar can be retrieved at www.literacyireland.com
Professional Collaborations
Jennifer is currently collaborating with the inter-departmental pilot In-school and Pre-school Therapy Support Demonstration Project. The project is implementing Jennifer’s phonological awareness programme with a wide variety of schools and teachers involved in the project.
Jennifer also collaborates with her colleague Clara Fiorentini on The Literacy Channel. The channel was created to share advice, ideas and strategies to support best practice in teaching and developing literacy at home and in the classroom. It can be accessed at https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCH5Z60tHUylIEbsfzj1psOg
