Prof. Phil Capin

Phil Capin is an Assistant Professor at the Harvard Graduate School of Education. His research focuses on understanding individual differences in reading development and on designing and evaluating effective instructional practices, particularly for students who have, or are at risk for, reading difficulties. Supported by grants from the Institute of Education Sciences (IES), the National Institutes of Health (NIH), and the Office of Special Education Programs (OSEP), Dr. Capin has conducted randomized control trials examining instructional approaches for improving reading opportunities and outcomes for children in K-12 settings. He directs the BRIDGES Lab(Building Reading Instruction to Drive Growth in Every Student), which is dedicated to rigorous, collaborative research with educators to bridge the gap between research and classroom practice. Currently, Dr. Capin’s research includes: (a) developing interventions that support both foundational reading skills and text comprehension, (b) integrating social-emotional supports within reading interventions for students with co-occurring reading difficulties, (c) improving educational opportunities and outcomes for English learners, and (d) creating strategies to foster narrative text comprehension in both school and home settings. His findings have been published in leading academic journals, including Scientific Studies of Reading, Reading Research Quarterly, and the Journal of Educational Psychology. A core aim of Dr. Capin’s work is translating research insights into practical solutions that address the everyday challenges faced by educators and students. Before joining academia, Dr. Capin was a teacher in El Centro, California.