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A Tribute to Marie M. Clay

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A Tribute to Marie M. Clay Marie Clay: An Honored Mentor, Colleague, and Friend A Tribute to Marie M. Clay: It is an awesome task to describe Marie Clay as a mentor, colleague and friend. She Searched for Questions In my attempt, words fail to capture the extensive and nuanced ways that she impacted and influenced those of us That Needed Answers who were privileged to be mentored and befriended by this remarkable Billie Askew, trainer emeritus, Texas Woman’s University humanitarian. The authors in this section provide insight When I consider Marie Clay’s influ- Marie’s perpetual state of inquiry had into the nature of her learning, thinking, ence on my life, I must return to a profound effect on me. At first, it encouraging, and challenging. We are the late 1960s, long before I knew was not always comfortable when reminded of her never ending search for what is possible. Sailing in new directions her. My advisor and mentor at I was the object of her inquiry and herself, she supported her colleagues to the University of Arizona, literacy wanted to respond with an ‘accept- travel to previously uncharted territory scholar Ruth Strang, talked of visiting able’ if not ‘right’ answer. I had to as well. She provided an outstanding with a young researcher from New abandon some ‘safe havens’ and be example of extraordinary research, borne Zealand at the World Congress in open to new ways of thinking, asking from her keen observations of children’s Copenhagen. Dr. Strang predicted new questions of my own. What a development. She employed unusual lenses to observe and capture change over that this extraordinary thinker would gift she gave me—both professionally time and to reveal to all of us what we contribute to world literacy in ways and personally. had not noticed before. not yet imagined. When I met Marie Examples of the many questions she Clay I was able to connect the dots— Marie Clay respected her colleagues and asked about emergent literacy are and to realize my good fortune in friends, as she respected all learners. She cited below. Take time to consider generously shared her vision, views, and becoming a part of the legacy forecast the importance of each question— theories, but she also listened to those of by Dr. Strang. others. She could learn from conversations and the significance of the potential with children and classroom teachers as Marie Clay influenced my thinking in answers. well as esteemed professional colleagues so many ways. She gave me a whole • How early could one see the and regularly made time for these con- new definition for the word inquiry! versations. She demonstrated to all of process of learning to read Her world and her work were tied us the importance of continuing to form moving off course? new questions and search for the answers to questions about what matters. She in many locations. We were reminded asked questions that have altered • What do proficient young continually not to become too attached understandings of early literacy learn- readers do as they problem to any particular answer, but to remain ing around the world. An overarch- solve increasingly difficult tentative in our theories and ideas. ing question in all of her work was, texts? What evidence do we Marie Clay was a friend to all of us as “What is possible . .?” In her own have of sequential changes in an optimistic, questioning, compassionate words, Marie told us their proficiency? presence in our professional lives. Above all else, she was a friend to each child I live in a perpetual state of • What would have to change who benefited from the gift of literacy enquiry, finding new questions to have all children readers that her research and writing made to ask, then moving on. I do and writers with average for possible. not have ‘a position’ or a safe age competencies by age 9 or — Salli Forbes haven where what is ‘right’ 10 years? exists. Pragmatism precludes • How do acts of processing idealism. I search for ques- change over time during lit- tions which need answers. eracy acquisition? What exists in the real world? And how well do our theories • Does an overview of what we explain what exists? (Clay, know provide a useful map- 2001, p. 3) ping of change over time in Fall 2007 Journal of Reading Recovery 89 Marie Clay: An Honored Mentor, Colleague, and Friend literacy processing that room setting. She found ways of potentially draw from all his might guide early literacy observing the first steps into reading, or her current understanding, interventions? writing, and changes in oral language and all his or her language acquisition. Her work gave us tools competencies, and visual • What is it about continuous for the assessment and analysis of information, and phonological texts that challenges a reader consequential changes over time in information, and knowledge of or writer? early literacy learning. One outcome printing conventions, in ways • What is the relationship of of her work is An Observation Survey which extend both the searching early writing to early reading? of Early Literacy Achievement (Clay, and linking processes as well as the item knowledge repertoires • How could young teachers 2002, 2006) in several languages. sharpen their observation of Her pivotal contribution of running Learners pull together neces- children’s efforts? records as a tool for observing text sary information from print processing behaviors has revolution- in simple ways at first…but as • What is possible for children ized our understandings of the read- opportunities to read and write with reading problems? ing process and of individual learners. accumulate over time the learn- er becomes able to quickly and • What is possible when we Teachers and researchers can now use momentarily construct a some- change the design and deliv- her unusual lenses to analyze chang- what complex operating system ery of traditional education ing in emerging literacy behaviors. which might solve the problem. for the children that teachers And Marie’s question, “How could (Clay, 2001, p. 224) find hard to teach? yesterday’s behaviors evolve into • What enables Reading tomorrow’s?” (Clay, 1982, p. 1), Within her complex theory of literacy Recovery to work in educa- translates to an observant teacher processing, Marie Clay did not ignore tional settings internationally? responding to a child’s daily changes writing. Throughout her career she in literacy behaviors. pursued the question, “How does Many of these questions—and scores early writing influence early read- more—originated in Marie’s unprec- A Detailed Account ing?” Her unprecedented work on edented original research of emerging of a Complex Literacy children’s writing, What Did I Write? reading behaviors (Clay, 1966) and Processing System (Clay, 1975), influenced educational continued throughout her career as theory and practice in schools. she sought answers to questions Consider the significance of this question: “What do proficient young When Anne Haas Dyson discovered that needed answers. Through her What Did I Write? in an Austin, inquiries, Marie Clay contributed readers do as they problem-solve increasingly difficult texts?” (Clay, Texas, bookstore, she realized that the groundbreaking advances in our book promised intellectual interest in understandings of emerging literacy 2001, p. 43). Using her unusual lenses, Marie provided a description and respect for children’s actions. behaviors. I highlight four of many She claims that her own research areas of her inquiry that have signifi- of the behaviors of proficient readers. Her accounts of effective processing path began that day—in that book- cantly influenced my thinking, my store aisle (Gaffney & Askew, 1999, work, and even my world. systems provide the grounded theory upon which her work rests. p. 286). Systematic Assessment of Space prohibits even a cursory Marie helped us to see connections between writing and the strategic Early Literacy Achievement description of this theory, but the complexity of the literacy processing activities children use when read- A guiding question in Marie Clay’s ing. Her perpetual state of inquiry early research — “Can we see the system is reflected in the following quote: was evident when she suggested that process of reading going astray close studying how children use what they to the onset of instruction?” — led In a complex model of interact- learn in writing when they are read- her to observe and record exactly ing competencies in reading ing “is a patch of research worthy of what occurred in the natural class- and writing the reader can cultivation” (Clay, 2003, p. 302). 90 Journal of Reading Recovery Fall 2007 Marie Clay: An Honored Mentor, Colleague, and Friend A Heightened Respect with the focus on an individual for Individual Differences child’s existing competencies. Marie Reading Recovery “Can educational practice viewed the Reading Recovery teacher embodies Marie Clay’s escape from … expectations as an observer of a child’s literacy groundbreaking work in processing behaviors who is respon- of average for age, and linked literacy. It brings diverse assumptions that children must sive to the learner and makes effective take common paths to com- decisions, moment by moment, based individuals by different mon outcomes?” on the child’s responses. The ultimate routes to full participa- (Clay, 1998, p. 223) goal is an independent learner. What tion in their classrooms. a contrast to prescribed curricula and Marie Clay’s work is built on the methodologies designed with no real The ways in which Marie demonstrated belief that children take child in mind! has moved her inquiry different paths to common outcomes. and grounded theory into Marie Clay did not apologize for Early Intervention for the holding the view that it is not a mat- practice is legendary, ter of pedaling harder along the same Lowest Literacy Achievers preventing literacy failure general path that works for successful “What is possible when we change for countless young chil- the design and delivery of tradi- readers, but “it is more a matter of ini- dren around the world.
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