Research Visit by Prof. Naomi Matsuura

The SuLLe research group at UEF, led by Assistant Professor Kaisa Pihlainen, recently had the pleasure of hosting Prof. Naomi Matsuura from the Faculty of Education at Mie University, Japan. The visit offered a valuable opportunity for academic exchange and collaborative learning.

During his guest lecture, Prof. Matsuura presented research on intensive support for hiragana acquisition among first-grade students, based on the Japanese hiragana reading test. His presentation highlighted the unique characteristics of the Japanese writing system, which combines three scripts, and explored how children with characteristics of developmental dyslexia may encounter specific challenges when learning hiragana.

Key takeaways from the lecture were that effective support for early reading development in Japanese can be achieved through a combination of structured hiragana practice, vocabulary development, and strong collaboration between families and schools.

His visit also provided an opportunity for mutual learning. Prof. Matsuura engaged with Finnish approaches to teacher education and special needs education. The programme included a campus tour featuring practical examples of craft education, as well as a visit to a hospital school, which offered meaningful insights into teaching and supporting children in specialised educational settings.

Beyond academic discussions, the visit included a touch of Finnish culture,as Prof. Matsuura had the opportunity to try the distinctive salty liquorice, salmiakki, and Finnish salmon. He was of the view that Finnish and Japanese cultures and people have some similarities.

The SuLLe research group warmly thanks Prof. Matsuura for his inspiring visit and looks forward to continued collaboration in the future.