Dr. Phil Capin

Biography

Dr. Phil Capin is an Assistant Professor at the Harvard Graduate School of Education. His research focuses on understanding individual differences in reading development and designing effective instructional practices for students at risk of reading difficulties. He has conducted randomized control trials funded by entities such as the Institute of Education Sciences and the National Institutes of Health, examining instructional approaches aimed at improving reading opportunities and outcomes for children in K-12 settings. Dr. Capin directs the BRIDGES Lab (Building Reading Instruction Drive Growth Student), which is dedicated to rigorous research that connects educational practice with research insights. His current research efforts include developing interventions that support foundational reading skills and enhance comprehension, integrating social-emotional supports in reading interventions for students with co-occurring difficulties, and creating educational strategies to foster comprehension among narrative texts in both school and home settings. His findings have been published in leading academic journals, including the Scientific Studies of Reading and the Journal of Educational Psychology, aiming to bridge the gap between research and classroom practice. Before joining academia, Dr. Capin was a teacher in El Centro, California. He holds a Ph.D. from the University of Texas at Austin, where he also completed his M.Ed.

Research Interests