Biography

Dr Lorraine Lawrance is an Assistant Professor in Education at Hibernia College, where she serves as Module Lead for Languages, Literacy and Learning and Subject Lead for English. Her professional and academic work is grounded in a strong commitment to literacy, equity, and teacher education. Lorraine completed her PhD in Literacy Education (MIC) with a focus on exploring the use of picturebooks to support disciplinary literacy in the Irish primary school context. She is the author of Over the Moon and Word Wizard (Gill Education) and is the Series Editor of Cosán na Gealaí, a Gaeilge literacy series for primary schools. She was also a research team member on the Building Bridges of Understanding programme. Prior to entering higher education, Lorraine spent 17 years teaching in a DEIS Band 1 primary school, experience which continues to inform her research and teaching. Her master’s degree in education (MIC) focused on the teaching of reading comprehension in a disadvantaged school setting. Lorraine is a co-founder of the Centre for Children’s Literature and Pedagogy Ireland (CCLPI) and is a reviewer for the Irish Journal of Education. She is an executive committee member at LAI. She is also a Teacher Leader at OU UKLA. Her research interests include children’s literature, initial teacher education, literacy development, and curricular reform.