DoctorAmy Scott

Dr Amy Scott is a Senior Lecturer in the Child Well-being Research Institute at the University of Canterbury, where she also serves as the National Implementation Lead for the Better Start Literacy Approach. A qualified speech-language therapist, she is passionate about advancing equitable outcomes in children’s early reading and oral language development.

Dr Scott’s research focuses on designing and evaluating tools and resources that support early literacy and language learning, with particular emphasis on oral language and vocabulary development. She has led the advancement of the online assessment tools that underpin the Better Start Literacy Approach and has expertise in developing multi-purpose assessment tools that bridge the gap between literacy research and classroom practice.

Dr Scott holds undergraduate qualifications in Psychology and Speech and Language Therapy (with Honours), a Postgraduate Certificate in Tertiary Teaching, and a PhD in Education—all from the University of Canterbury. She was part of a research team awarded the prestigious University of Canterbury Research Innovation Medal in 2023 and currently serves on the Board of the New Zealand Speech-language Therapists’ Association.