A LEGACY OF LEADERSHIP
Rosalie Davis served for many years on the board of the Georgia Branch of the International Dyslexia Association. Read her bio at https://ga.dyslexiaida.org/mission/board-of-directors/
At the 75th Anniversary IDA Gala on October 25, 2024, IDA recognized the significant contributions of six pioneering women—Louisa Moats, Suzanne Carreker, Rosalie Davis, Phyllis Meisel, Louise Spear-Swerling, and Barbara Wilson—in developing the Knowledge and Practice Standards for Teachers of Reading (KPS). They began meeting in 2008 and the first edition of the KPS was published in 2010. These standards have transformed literacy instruction across the United States.
“As the IDA recognizes Louisa Moats, Suzanne Carreker, Rosalie Davis, Phyllis Meisel, Louise Spear-Swerling, and Barbara Wilson, we honor a legacy that will forever be etched in the history of literacy education. These women didn’t just develop a set of standards—they created a movement that is transforming how we teach reading and how we support every child’s right to literacy.” – Excerpt from the 75th Anniversary Issue of IDA’s Legacy Magazine
Rosalie Davis’s Acceptance Speech
Louisa Moats’s Acceptance Speech
The Women Behind the Blueprint for Literacy Instruction
What does it take to create a lasting framework that shapes the future of literacy instruction for generations to come?
For Louisa Moats, Suzanne Carreker, Rosalie Davis, Phyllis Meisel (deceased), Louise Spear-Swerling, and Barbara Wilson, the answer was clear: a commitment to science, research, and the belief that every child deserves the chance to read.
These five visionary women, each a pioneer in the field of literacy and dyslexia, came together—alongside other esteemed leaders and experts in reading education—to develop what is now known as the Knowledge and Practice Standards for Teachers of Reading (KPS). This set of guidelines has not only transformed how reading is taught across the country but also created a lasting legacy that continues to shape education policy and practice at every level.
The Knowledge and Practice Standards were born out of a pressing need for clarity and consistency in how reading instruction is delivered. For decades, teachers were often left without clear guidance on how to best support struggling readers and students with dyslexia. As a result, many students failed to receive the evidence-based instruction they needed to succeed.
Moats, Carreker, Davis, Meisel, Spear-Swerling, and Wilson, working closely with other renowned researchers and education advocates, recognized this gap and set out to change the narrative by
developing a comprehensive set of standards grounded in the science of reading.
The KPS represents a landmark achievement in the world of literacy education. These standards provide educators with a clear framework for understanding how students learn to read, why some struggle, and which instructional practices are most effective. They cover a broad range of essential topics, including phonemic awareness, phonics, vocabulary, fluency, and comprehension. More importantly, the standards are based on decades of research and scientific consensus, ensuring that teachers who use them are delivering the highest quality instruction.
Honoring the Visionaries
- Suzanne Carreker
- Rosalie Davis
- Phyllis Meisel
- Louisa Moats
- Louise Spear-Swerling
- Barbara Wilson
What makes the KPS truly remarkable is its far-reaching impact. Today, the standards are at the heart of legislation in many states and have been adopted by numerous state education departments as the foundation for teacher preparation programs.
Universities across the nation now use the KPS as the blueprint for training future educators, ensuring that the next generation of teachers is equipped with the knowledge and skills to help all students become proficient readers. In fact, the KPS is often credited with being the gold standard for literacy instruction, directly influencing how reading is taught in classrooms from coast to coast.
Perhaps the most powerful aspect of their legacy is that it continues to grow. As more states and institutions adopt the Knowledge and Practice Standards, the influence of these women extends further, reaching more classrooms and more students every year.
Their work serves as a testament to the enduring power of evidence-based education, and their impact will be felt for generations to come.
The collective work of these dynamic women, in collaboration with other leaders in the dyslexia and education communities, is the epitome of legacy. Their leadership and vision have not only changed the lives of countless students but have also reshaped the educational landscape.
Thanks to their efforts, students who once struggled with reading are now receiving the targeted instruction they need to succeed, and teachers are empowered with the tools to make a real difference in their students’ lives.
As the IDA recognizes Louisa Moats, Suzanne Carreker, Rosalie Davis, Phyllis Meisel, Louise Spear-Swerling, and Barbara Wilson, we honor a legacy that will forever be etched in the history of literacy education. These women didn’t just develop a set of standards—they created a movement that is transforming how we teach reading and how we support every child’s right to literacy.
In 2018, IDA published the 2nd Edition of the KPS: “The International Dyslexia Association’s Educator
Training Initiatives (ETI) Committee has refined the KPS to bring greater specificity to how knowledge of the standards could be assessed in the context of coursework and how practice applications of Structured Literacy could be demonstrated in supervised practicum contexts.” – Perspectives on Language and Literacy Spring 2018
Thanks to that original KPS in 2010, we now have the Structured Literacy interactive info map and the 75th Anniversary issue of Perspectives on Language and Literacy Structured Literacy: Grounded in the Science of Reading in 2024. Great things are happening at IDA to help educators help our children become more competent and confident readers and writers.
Structured Literacy Infographic (June 2023)
IDA Fact Sheet: Structured Literacy Defined (June 2024)
Interactive Structured Literacy Info Map (December 2024)
Click on elements of the InfoMap to learn more about each area! Check out morphemes, phoneme/graphemes, and vocabulary/background knowledge first! More content coming soon to each area.
Are you a classroom teacher or administrator wanting to learn more about Structured Literacy and Dyslexia? Are you a professor or literacy coach? IDA Georgia offers scholarships and grants. PLEASE let us help you. https://ga.dyslexiaida.org/scholarship-applications-for-teachers-and-administrators/
https://ga.dyslexiaida.org/grants/
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