#Japan #Tokyo #Language Skills #Hakuhodo Foundation #educational research

Educational Research Grants for Children's Practices

The Hakuhodo Foundation, a public interest organization dedicated to promoting children's education, has recently announced the recipients of its 21st grant program aimed at supporting research on educational practices for children. This initiative seeks to foster improvements in language skills amongst children and enhance the overall quality of educational practices.

Purpose of the Grant Program

The primary objective of the "Research Grant for Educational Practices for Children" is to cultivate scholars and educators engaged in significant research that enhances language skills among children. This initiative aims to not only generate valuable research results but also to implement these findings in real-world educational settings, thereby enriching the foundation of childhood education.

Website for More Information:
For comprehensive details about this grant program, visit the official website: Hakuhodo Foundation's Research Grants

Grant Recipients

After a rigorous selection process by the evaluation committee, 16 outstanding research projects were selected from a total of 141 applications. This selection reflects the commitment to supporting innovative schooling methods.

One-Year Grant Recipients:

1. Takuhito Isomoto (Rikkyo Elementary School Teacher)
Title: Practical Implementation of 'Easy Japanese' in International Understanding Education — Through Exchanges with Japanese Language Learners in Thai High Schools.

2. Kousuke Uchiyama (Yamaguchi University Affiliated Elementary School Teacher)
Title: Practical Research on the Development of Metalanguage Skills in Elementary Japanese Language Education.

3. Hinako Naruse (Graduate Student, Hiroshima University)
Title: Instructional Practices for English Vocabulary Learning Strategies to Realize Language Structure Awareness — Analyzing the Transfer of Strategies between English and Japanese.

4. Takuya Numajiri (Fukui University Lecturer)
Title: Expanding Learning through the Joy of Reading — An Investigation into the Use of Extensive Reading in Japanese Language Support for Children of Foreign Origin.

5. Naoki Hachiya (Director, Oozasa Elementary School, Fukuoka City)
Title: Cultivating Children's Language Skills through Collaborative Learning - Adjusting Socially Shared Learning and Teacher Questions.

6. Yinran Li (Graduate Student, University of Tokyo)
Title: Developing English Speaking Skills and Motivation through the Use of Independent Learning Resources.

Two-Year Grant Recipients:

1. Akiko Iguchi (Assistant Professor, Ibaraki University)
Title: Practical Research on Inclusive Education to Promote Language Development in Hearing Impaired Children Using Sign Language and Visual Teaching Materials.

2. Aya Ohshika (Associate Professor, Tokyo Gakugei University)
Title: Investigating the Reality of Developmental Disabilities in Children with Natural Recovery from Stuttering.

3. Amon Ogata (Graduate Student, University of Tokyo)
Title: Changes in Teacher’s Understanding of Echolalia in Children with Autism Spectrum Disorder.

4. Yufuko Takashima (Researcher, National Rehabilitation Center for Persons with Disabilities)
Title: Development of Digital Sign Language Picture Books to Promote Communication among Deaf and Hard of Hearing Children and their Parents.

5. Tatsuya Tomonaga (Teacher, Kobe University Affiliated Small School)
Title: Developing a Practical Model to Facilitate Learning through 'Complex Judgments' in Communication — Achieving Evaluation as Learning.

6. Mai Narita (Lecturer, Shokei Gakuin University)
Title: Development and Validation of Support Procedures for Middle School Students Facing Difficulties with Long-Text Comprehension.

7. Asako Hosokawa (Research Fellow, Aoyama Gakuin University)
Title: Examining the Impact of Story Experiences and Reading Habits on the Development of Socio-emotional Skills, Focusing on Individual Differences in Emotional Processing Characteristics.

8. Kentaro Maruta (Teacher, Hiroshima University Affiliated Elementary School)
Title: Proposal for a Language Education Program Utilizing Picture Books Depicting Linguistic Minorities.

9. Toyokazu Mizuchi (Associate Professor, Shimane Prefectural University)
Title: Developing and Evaluating Educational Methods Supporting Vocabulary and Emotional Understanding Using Sensory-based Picture Book Materials.

10. Rei Miyata (Lecturer, University of Tokyo)
Title: Clarifying the Criteria for Determining Appropriate Grades for Children's Educational Books and Applying It to Automated Judgment Technology.

Future Plans

The grants will be provided during the periods from April 1, 2026, to March 31, 2027 (one-year grants), and from April 1, 2026, to March 31, 2028 (two-year grants). At the conclusion of these periods, grantees will be required to submit research reports and present their findings at a dedicated conference.

The Hakuhodo Foundation was established in 1970 with the aim of comprehensively contributing to the sound development of individuals through educational support for children and persons with visual and hearing impairments. It continues to conduct various activities focused on "children," "language," and "education," including the prestigious Hakuhodo Award honoring exceptional educational practices and other grant assistance programs.