Profs. Zoll & Feinberg Release Seminal Book & Podcast

RIC Associate Professor of Early Childhood Education Susan Zoll (pictured left) and RIC Assistant Professor of Elementary Education Natasha Feinberg (pictured right), along with Laura Saylor, dean of the School of Education at Mount St. Joseph University, have released a new book titled “Powerful Literacy in the Montessori Classroom: Aligning Reading Research and Practice.” The authors were also interviewed about their research on the Voices in Montessori Podcast.

Their book is not only meant to be a resource for Montessori teachers (preschool to grade three). It is for any educator working to help children successfully enter the world of reading.

“The authors take you on a journey through all aspects of reading – a depth most books cannot match – showing how each component is handled in a Montessori classroom and how that pedagogy aligns with scientific findings,” says Daniel Willingham and Trisha Thompson-Willingham in the Forward.

Included are explanations of how the Montessori curriculum builds reading skills and vocabulary across disciplines. Teaching materials and classroom examples are presented. The authors explain Montessori methods to support multiculturalism. And they provide multisensory approaches to language and literacy instruction.

“Too many children unnecessarily struggle with learning to read,” says Amy Murdoch, founding director of the Center for Reading Science at Mount St. Joseph University. “By implementing the evidence-based instructional guidance provided in this book, educators can make a big difference in the lives of the children they teach.”

Hear more about their research on the Voices in Montessori Podcast. Zoll and Feinberg have also scheduled speaking engagements at Association Montessori Internationale in February and the American Montessori Society in March. 

Learn more about RIC’s Feinstein School of Education and Human Development.