Leah Hadden-Purnell is a Psychology Lecturer at Bangor University, where she also completed her undergraduate and master’s degrees, which ignited her passion for early literacy development. As a Welsh speaker, she developed a particular interest in early bilingual literacy development. This passion led her to pursue a PhD focused on the complexities of Welsh-English bilingualism, with a specific emphasis on literacy disorders in this context. Her research explores early literacy skills in bilingual environments, contributing to a deeper understanding of the challenges and opportunities faced by bilingual learners.

In addition to her academic pursuits, she serves as the School Liaison for the Department of Psychology.

2020

• PublishedHandwriting legibility and its relationship to spelling ability and age: Evidence from monolingual and bilingual children
  Caravolas, M., Downing, C., Hadden, C.-L. & Wynne, C., 4 Jun 2020, In: Frontiers in Psychology. 11, 1097.
  Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review

2024

• Deeside Sixth Higher Education conference

  The Deeside Sixth HE Conference offered students the opportunity to explore higher education options. Participants learned about various scholarships, engaged in informative taster sessions, and gained valuable insights into their future academic pathways. The conference aimed to equip students with the knowledge and resources needed to make informed decisions about their higher education journey.

  4 Jun 2024

  Activity: Types of Public engagement and outreach - Schools engagement (Presenter)
• Bangor Science Festival - Psychology stall

  The Bangor Science Festival, a key event during British Science Week organised by the British Science Association, was designed to inspire and excite young people about science. Its objectives included empowering young citizens and nurturing the next generation of scientists and engineers. The festival also aimed to improve public access to research and encourage discussions about scientific methods, their results, and their broader implications for society. Our department of Psychology participated with two stalls that featured various interactive activities, engaging attendees and highlighting the fascinating world of psychological science.

  9 Mar 2024

  Activity: Types of Public engagement and outreach - Festival/Exhibition (Contributor)

2023

• Bangor University Community Day - Psychology stall

  Bangor University Community Day was an event that welcomed the local community to explore the University and learn about its significant contributions to the social, economic, environmental, and cultural life of North Wales and beyond. The event showcased a range of activities. Our department of Psychology participated with a stall, offering various engaging activities for attendees, highlighting some of the department's work.

  14 Oct 2023

  Activity: Types of Public engagement and outreach - Festival/Exhibition (Contributor)
• Dysgu am asesiadau llythrennedd gyda MABEL (Welsh) (13:00 -13:45)

  MABEL is a highly innovative, multi-lingual battery for assessing early literacy and literacy-related skills in both monolingual, bilingual and second language learners. It was created by an international team of researchers as one output of a European Initial Training Network project. Validated by research, MABEL is a web-based resource intended for use by educational psychologists, speech and language therapists, and special educational needs teachers. MABEL exemplifies how the results of a psycho-educational research project can serve to ameliorate the work of language and literacy specialists, and bring educational benefits to learners in numerous countries.

  17 May 2023

  Activity: Types of Public engagement and outreach - Schools engagement (Speaker)