Marie M. Clay

Marie M. Clay was a renowned speech-language pathologist and researcher known for her groundbreaking work in reading education. She developed the "phonological awareness" approach, emphasizing the importance of understanding the sounds in words as a foundation for learning to read. Her most influential contribution is the "Reading Recovery" program, designed to help struggling young readers improve their skills through targeted, short-term literacy interventions. Clay’s research has significantly shaped early literacy teaching methods worldwide, highlighting the importance of phonemic awareness, letter recognition, and guided reading strategies in developing confident, competent readers.