Currently, 45 million Americans are functionally illiterate and cannot read above a fifth-grade level. 50% of adults cannot read a book written at an eighth-grade level. 57% of students failed the California Standards Test in English. 1/3 of fourth graders reach the proficient reading level, according to the Literacy Project Foundation. Maya Smart is determined to make a measurable difference in the field of literacy. “As an author, seasoned speaker, and passionate literacy advocate, I help parents nurture, teach, and advocate for children on the road to reading. My book, Reading for Our Lives: A Literacy Action Plan from Birth to Six, provides a clear, step-by-step guide to helping our children thrive as readers and learners.
I hold a master’s degree in journalism from the Medill School at Northwestern University and a bachelor’s in social studies with honors from Harvard University. I serve as affiliated faculty in Educational Policy and Leadership in the College of Education at Marquette University. My specialty is in making academic research about literacy accessible and easy to implement for parents, grandparents, teachers, librarians, and other caregivers and concerned citizens.
I speak frequently at book festivals, bookstore events, and conferences about the educational challenges facing our children and the tools we have to surmount them. How to parent for literacy and how to support families to parent for literacy are key topics for me, and I’ve also commented widely on educational equality, learning loss, curriculum reform, and related topics. My take on literacy and education issues have also been featured by media outlets including TIME, CBS Mornings, Forbes, and the Los Angeles Times.” She joined me this week to tell me more.
For more information: https://mayasmart.com/
Get the Book: https://mayasmart.com/book/
Get more Resources: https://mayasmart.com/resources/
