Our people

Dr Andrea Salins

Research Fellow - The Australian Centre for the Advancement of Literacy

Areas of expertise: children's language and literacy development; oral language, reading, and math development; children with hearing difficulties; how reading and/or math problems interact with children's emotional health; Aboriginal children's hearing health project; implementing a culturally safe speech language supports program

Email: Andrea.Salins@acu.edu.au

ORCID ID: 0000-0003-4218-0372

Dr Andrea Salins earned her PhD in Cognitive Science from Macquarie University in 2022 before commencing a Postdoctoral Research Fellowship. She has also taught as a lecturer at Macquarie University and Australian Catholic University, delivering undergraduate courses across cognitive science, psychology, and speech-language pathology.

Dr Salins' research examines how best to support children's language and literacy development. Her work focuses on oral language and reading in both typically developing children and those with hearing difficulties, with the goal of identifying evidence-based supports that enhance learning outcomes. A key focus of Dr. Salins' research is the investigation of mechanisms linking literacy and wellbeing in children and adolescents, including the interplay between reading achievement, anxiety, and engagement.

Through her research, Dr Salins aims to advance understanding of the factors that shape children's learning and wellbeing, and to contribute practical insights for educators, clinicians, and policymakers seeking to support diverse learners.

Publications

1. Salins A., McArthur, G., Jones, A., Robidoux, S. (2025). Reading and Emotional Health Development in Children with Ear/Hearing Difficulties. Journal of Speech, Language, and Hearing Research. 10.1044/2024_JSLHR-24-00471
2. Galea, C., Jones, A., Ko, K., Salins, A., Robidoux, S., Noble, C., & McArthur, G. (2025). Home-Based Shared Book Reading and Developmental Outcomes in Young Children: A Systematic Review with Meta-Analyses. Frontiers in Language Sciences, 4, 1540562. https://doi.org/10.3389/flang.2025.1540562
3. Salins, A., Cupples, L., Leigh, G., & Castles, A. (2024). Using orthographic support to reduce the impact of noise on oral vocabulary learning in adults. Journal of Research in Reading. https://doi.org/10.1111/1467-9817.12470
4. Wang, H.C., Salins, A., Murray, L., Wegener, S., Castles. (2024). Orthographic facilitation of vocabulary learning in monolingual and bilingual children. Reading and Writing. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11145-024-10561
5. Galea, C., Robidoux, S., Salins, A., Noble, C., & McArthur, G. (2024). The Impact of Shared Book Reading on Children and Families: A Study of Dolly Parton's Imagination Library in Tamworth, Australia. Journal of Research in Childhood Education, 1-30.
6. Salins, A., Cupples, L., Leigh, G., & Castles, A. (2023). Orthographic facilitation of oral vocabulary acquisition in primary school children. Quarterly Journal of Experimental Psychology, 76(5), 1045-1056. https://doi.org/10.1177/17470218221102916
7. Salins, A., Nash, K., Macniven, R., Halvorsen, L., Lumby, N., & McMahon, C. (2023). Culturally safe speech-language supports for First Nations children: Achieving Sustainable Development Goals 3, 4, 8 and 10. International Journal of Speech-Language Pathology, 25(1), 152-156. https://doi.org/10.1080/17549507.2022.2143565
8. Salins, A., Leigh, G., Cupples, L., & Castles, A. (2021). Orthographic facilitation of oral vocabulary acquisition in children with hearing loss. Journal of Speech, Language, and Hearing Research, 64(8), 3127-3139. https://doi.org/10.1044/2021_JSLHR-20-00660
9. Morrow, A., Orr, N., Nash, K., Coates, H., Cross, C., Evans, J. R.,... & Macniven, R. (2023). Parent Perspectives of Ear Health and the Relationship with Children's Speech and Language in the Longitudinal Study of Indigenous Children. Children, 10(1), 165.https://doi.org/10.3390/children10010165

Accolades or Awards

2023: Staff Excellence in Research Award, Macquarie University

2022: Vice Chancellor's Commendation for Academic Excellence (PhD thesis), Macquarie University

2019: Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Research) Commendation awarded in recognition of outstanding Macquarie University Postgraduate Research Fund Application.

2019: Awarded third place in the 3-minute thesis presentation competition at the department level

2018: Awarded distinction for the Master of Research thesis

2017: Highly commended postgraduate poster, CCD Excellence in Research Student Award

2016: Awarded the Shaila Vora Award for Best paper in Language, ISHACON 48, India

Grants

• ACU Faculty of Education Early Career Researcher Grant (2025). Investigating the relationship between reading and mental health: New validated measures and a unified theoretical framework. Salins, A. ($4,993.52)
• Flinders University Institute for Mental Health and Wellbeing (2024). Understanding and supporting emotional health in children and adults with literacy difficulties. A new psychometric assessment battery for research and clinical practice. Caruana N. et al., (Co-CI; $2966.40)
• University of Jyvaskyla (2024). Examining the maintenance factors for poor reading and anxiety in secondary school. Salins, A. ($9918)
• Macquarie University (2022). Examining math and emotional health in children with and without hearing difficulties. Salins, A. ($5000)
• Macquarie University Centre for Reading - Research Support Awards. (2023). Relationship between reading and emotional health in children with ear and hearing difficulties. Salins, A. ($10000).
• Macquarie University (ECR Enabling Scheme). (2021). Orthographic facilitation of adjective learning. Salins, A. ($2959.6).
• Experimental Psychology Society, New Graduate Research Bursary Scheme (UK). Orthographic facilitation of word learning in noise (Co-CI; $4434.42)
• International Macquarie University Research Excellence Scholarship 2018-2021 ($ 231,252)
• Macquarie University Research Training Pathway Scholarship (International, 2017 ($58543)

Public Engagement

Media

2025: Education HQ article https://educationhq.com/news/kids-with-hearing-issues-at-risk-of-anxiety-behaviour-problems-and-poor-reading-skills-leading-study-192455/

2025: News article MSN https://www.msn.com/en-us/health/other/hearing-difficulties-linked-to-reading-related-mental-health-issues/ar-AA1CxJCv (9 April)

2025: Ultra106five FM Tasmania interview on the association between reading and mental health

2025: 2CC Canberra Radio interview (8 April)

2025: ABC Queensland Drive - Live radio interview on reading and mental health (7 April)

2025: CathNews Report https://cathnews.com/2025/04/07/hearing-difficulties-linked-to-reading-related-mental-health-issues/

2025: Hearing Practitioner Australia Report: https://hearingpractitionernews.com.au/hearing-difficulties-linked-to-reading-related-mental-health-issues-world-first-acu-research/

2025: 2SM, Super Radio Network on the relationship between reading difficulties and mental health outcomes in children with hearing difficulties.

2020: Podcast on using spellings to support vocabulary acquisition in children with hearing loss https://renwickcentrepodcast.podbean.com/e/episode-60-andrea-salins-the-renwick-centre-podcast/

2019: Organizing Committee, Cognitive Science Seminars, Department of Cognitive Science, Macquarie University

Invited Talks

1. Salins, A. (November 2019). Orthographic Facilitation of Word Learning in DHH Children. [Invited talk]. Centre For Research on Atypical Development and Learning. Georgia State University, Atlanta, USA
2. Salins, A. (September 2020). Using spellings to support oral vocabulary learning in children with hearing loss. Itinerant teachers of the deaf professional development workshop. [Invited talk]. Sydney, NSW, Australia
3. Salins, A. (October 2024). Wellbeing in Literacy: Theory building and evidence. [Invited talk]. Centre of Excellence for Learning Dynamics and Intervention Research workshop. Jyvaskyla, Finland
4. Salins, A. (December 2024). Orthographic Facilitation: What do we know and where do we go from here. FRiLL, University of Reading, U.K.

Conference Presentations

1. Salins A., Kohnen, S., Castles, A., Banales, E., McArthur, G. (2025). Reading Difficulties and Related Mental Health Problems in Adolescents. Society for Scientific Studies of Reading, Calgary, Canada
2. Salins A., Robidoux, S, Castles, A., Leigh, G., Cupples, L., Arciuli, J. (2024) Facilitating Adjective Learning in Primary School Children: The Role of Spellings. Society for Scientific Studies of Reading, Copenhagen, Denmark
3. Salins A., Robidoux, S, Sharma., M, Trang, D., Bull, R. (2024) Math and Emotional Health Development in Children with Ear/Hearing Difficulties. DSF Conference - Language Literacy and Learning, Perth, Australia
4. Salins A., McArthur, G., Jones, A., Robidoux, S. (2023) Reading and Emotional Health Development in Children with Ear/Hearing Difficulties. Society for Scientific Studies of Reading, Port Douglas Australia
5. Salins, Cupples, Leigh & Castles (2020). Orthographic facilitation of spoken word learning in children with hearing loss. Oral presentation at the Perspectives of Language in Children with Hearing Loss online workshop. Child Language Centre, Macquarie University
6. Salins, Cupples, Leigh & Castles (2019). Orthographic facilitation of spoken word learning in children with hearing loss. Poster presentation. American Speech-Language and Hearing Association Conference, Orlando, Florida
7. Salins, Cupples, Leigh & Castles (2019). The effect of orthography provision on oral vocabulary learning in hard of hearing children. Poster presented by Leigh.G. at The International Conference On Teaching Deaf Learners, Netherlands
8. Salins, Cupples, Leigh & Castles (2017). Orthographic facilitation for word learning in deaf and hard of hearing children. Poster presentation awarded best student poster at CCD Annual Workshop, 2017. Sydney, Australia
9. Salins, Cupples, Leigh & Castles (2017). Orthographic facilitation for word learning in deaf and hard of hearing children. Oral presentation. At "Maximising the potential for proficient reading in young people with hearing loss: What does the evidence tell us?", Sydney, Australia