Marie Clay: An Honored Mentor, Colleague, and Friend

Dame Professor Marie M. Clay: Scientist, Professor, Colleague

Stuart McNaughton, professor, The , New Zealand

Marie was first and foremost a scien- scientist, she discovered and explained frameworks of assessments tist studying children’s development. new or puzzling phenomena, and she and instruction. Her seminal doctoral work, a longitu- invented new procedures and tools. A Her applied achievements are recog- dinal study of development, beginning list includes the following: nised most directly in the and the later classic research and • Identifying developmental Recovery programme. This highly development programme which led patterns before school which effective early intervention pro- to came out of her she first labelled ‘emergent gramme has near national imple- deep interest in the nature and condi- literacy;’ mentation in New Zealand as well tions of children’s development, both as in parts of education systems typical and atypical. She was quite • Discovering the presence in Australia, Bermuda, Canada, insistent, as only Marie could be, and role of self-corrections Denmark, England, the Republic of that it was her developmental science in early reading which led to Ireland, Northern Ireland, the United that was the basis of what she did, the still current theory that States, and Wales. In 2005, 11,000 saying many times that she hated these are regulatory strate- New Zealand children were taught, being introduced to conferences as gies maintaining the complex and the figure is over a million who the ‘Reading Lady.’ components needed to read have been taught worldwide. The accurately and fluently with She accepted as a working defini- U.S. Department of Education meaning; tion of developmental science that recently recognised the quality of the it described and explained develop- • Designing new tools for research base to Reading Recovery ment. But in her definition, the assessing early development through its Institute of Education science was able to contribute to in both literacy and oral Sciences What Works Clearinghouse, optimising development. This lat- language; identifying it as an effective pro- ter she took to be as much a part of • Reconceptualising reading gramme meeting more standards what it meant to be a scientist as the errors as diagnostic indicators with higher effectiveness than com- usual theory building and fact find- of the reader’s instructional parison programmes. ing. Developmental psychology is an needs; The generalisation of Reading optimistic science and in this regard Recovery across countries represents she was an optimistic person. It is • Early identification of devel- a unique feature of Marie’s scholar- one of the reasons she eschewed the opmental trajectories in ship which was the understanding damaging effects of labelling children. which children are trapped that optimising development requires She looked for the ways in which psy- in a cycle of low progress and understanding educational systems chological and social resources could therefore have limited access and developing policy that will help be designed to support children’s to stimulation; resource those systems. She worked optimal development. • Operationalising the concept with policymakers in government Her particular fields of inquiry were of ‘personalised learning’, agencies to get Reading Recovery wide-ranging and included oral lan- brilliantly demonstrated implemented successfully, nationally, guage and socio-emotional develop- in Reading Recovery les- and internationally. The procedures ment, as well as the development of sons which are individually have been redeveloped in Spanish, reading and . An exceptional designed using generic French, Danish, and Irish, and

104 Journal of Reading Recovery Fall 2007 Marie Clay: An Honored Mentor, Colleague, and Friend

currently are being trialled in further language contexts. In the 1990s, they were redeveloped in Maori, the indig- enous language of New Zealand. This following a long standing contri- bution to Maori educational concerns which started in 1970s, with the development of a receptive language measure in Te Reo Maori. Marie was a very clever writer and she enjoyed thinking about her writing. An example is her book on emergent writing: What Did I Write? That is a great title for a book, not the least because it was a direct quote from one of the children she observed. It reflects the point that children develop hypotheses about the nature of writing in advance of controlling all the elements. She is the author of more than 32 books currently in use It was interesting to see how Marie’s focus in her science changed, said former around the world and has published colleague Stuart McNaughton—seemingly in parallel with the ages of her more than 75 papers on her subject. much-loved children. At the time of her death, a further was early development. As her chil- the U.S. She was inducted into the five books were being prepared dren got older she developed courses International Reading Association’s for publication in middle childhood, and when older (IRA) Hall of Fame in 1982. Her A great teacher, Marie was a rigor- still in adolescent development. If she early and continuing involvement ous and nurturing mentor, fiercely had continued at the university lon- with the local and international protective of, and an advocate for, ger, almost certainly there would have activities of the IRA, along with her her students. Among her graduate been a course on grandparenting. enormous contribution to under- standings about literacy learning and and doctoral students there have Marie maintained a high level of con- teaching, were acknowledged when been heads of departments and deans tact with children, parents, and teach- in 1989, in the highest poll ever, the from four New Zealand universities; ing communities. Among her many membership of the IRA voted for directors of two research centres; commitments, she assisted in the Marie Clay to become their president chief executives of governmental formation of the Reading Association for the 1992–93 term. Marie was agencies including the New Zealand in New Zealand, was president of the first non-North American to be Ministry of Education; national and the Auckland Reading Association in appointed to this prestigious and international professional developers; 1971–72, and coordinated the New demanding position. In 1993 she a generation of school psychologists, Zealand Reading Association coun- received the Charles A. Dana Award principals, Reading Recovery educa- cils from 1971–74. In 1978, she was for Pioneering Achievements in tors, countless teachers; and at least awarded the International Citation Education. one politician. of Merit at the World Congress on It was interesting to observe how Reading, and the following year she She had an ongoing contribution Marie’s focus in her science changed, received the David H. Russell Award and commitment to social science seemingly in parallel with the ages of for distinguished research in the research in New Zealand, standing her much-loved children. In the earli- teaching of English from the National on a variety of national advisory com- est years at the university the focus Council of Teachers of English in mittees and taking an active role in

Fall 2007 Journal of Reading Recovery 105 Marie Clay: An Honored Mentor, Colleague, and Friend

and becoming a Fellow of science bodies such as the New Zealand Psychological Society and the Royal Remembering Marie Society of New Zealand. can’t imagine my professional life without the knowledge and Her achievements as a career academ- I experience I have gained based on Marie Clay’s work. Her work ic are spectacular. Marie graduated changed the way I viewed teaching and learning and I will forever be from The University of Auckland grateful for the enlightenment. I know there are many other reading with a PhD in Education in 1966; she professionals that feel this way also. The body of research and writing was appointed the first woman pro- she left us will continue to be a major contribution to the field of literacy fessor at the University in 1975, and and teaching. the first woman head of an academic Marie Clay was a unique individual, well-honored, and well-loved. As I department. In 1987, she was made reflected on her work and how she lived her life I recognized dichotomies a Dame Commander of the British that contributed to her uniqueness that also might provide lessons from Empire and in 1994, was awarded the which we all can benefit. title “New Zealander of the Year.” Marie Clay had a huge vision — the vision that all children can become Five overseas universities have award- literate if teachers learned how to teach them. Her big idea was that it ed her honorary degrees. In 2004, might be possible to change the trajectory of literacy failure for most she was awarded the Distinguished children by changing the way teachers teach. And that this could be done Alumni Award from The University by observing and valuing partly correct responses rather than deficits. of Auckland. But she developed this vision based upon looking through a fine lens at I had very few disagreements with the idiosyncrasies of individual learners. The life lesson might be that Marie. One was the occasion of her you should have a big vision, but it is the little things that contribute to farewell speech at the University your success. of Auckland when she apparently Connie Briggs, Emporia State University; retired. Apparently, because she then current North American Trainers Group president worked harder and travelled more than ever before. She used analogies to great effect in her work and she arie Clay was one of the greatest, if not the greatest, educational used an analogy at her farewell that Mminds of the Twentieth Century. Her research, writing, and most typified her humility. She described importantly, the professional development models she put in place to ensure the ongoing relevance of her work are exemplary. her times during Christmas holidays playing on a family farm. She and Peter Hunt, Australia the other children would make trails through the bush on the farm. When she returned the next holi- he ripples of Dr. Marie Clay’s legacy live on, in each child who days, the trails were overgrown. She Tcomes to literacy as a result of the wisdom she shared and each teacher who will never teach or think the same because they put Dame said that her work had made trails. Marie Clay’s theory into practice. I am so grateful her life touched mine. But they would disappear as others would find new trails. I think she got Tanai Dawson, Canada the analogy wrong. True, others will make new discoveries; they will add ways of researching with and optimis- was so fortunate to hear Dr. Clay speak on several occasions. To me ing children’s literacy development. I it was like hearing Thomas Edison talk about how he invented the light bulb! But, these accomplishments will be done standing on this work and in Betty Bruce, Georgia reference to the extraordinary and enduring body of work from this great scientist.

106 Journal of Reading Recovery Fall 2007