Speaker Biographies

Our Speakers

Dr. Maryanne Wolf

Maryanne Wolf  is a scholar, a teacher, and an advocate for children and literacy around the world. She is the Director of the  newly created Center for Dyslexia, Diverse Learners, and Social Justice at the UCLA Graduate School of Education and Information Studies.  Previously she was the John DiBiaggio Professor of Citizenship and Public Service and  Director of the Center for Reading and Language Research in the Eliot-Pearson Department of Child Study and Human Development at Tufts University.  She is the author of Proust and the Squid: The Story and Science of the Reading Brain (2007, HarperCollins), Dyslexia, Fluency, and the Brain (Edited; York, 2001),  Tales of Literacy for the 21st Century (2016, Oxford University Press), and Reader, Come Home: The Reading Brain in a Digital World (August, 2018, HarperCollins).

This presentation will expand on the research from cognitive neuroscience and will be used to describe implications for understanding: reading development; an expanded conceptualization of foundational skills, fluency, and deep reading comprehension processes; a newer definition of dyslexia; principles of instruction and intervention; and the impact of digital culture on literacy. 

Dr. Kimberly Stockton

Dr. Stockton joined Lexia Learning in July 2019 with 25 years of education experience. Kimberly began her career as an elementary school teacher in Southern California. She focused on intensive reading intervention in the early primary grades to give all students the gift of literacy. Kimberly became a reading intervention specialist with a focus on implementing Multi-Tiered Systems of Support across schools and districts. She has a rich professional background that includes professional speaking, coaching, training, and implementing and designing curricula. Kimberly holds a master’s degree in curriculum, instruction, and assessment from California State University at Long Beach. She also holds a bachelor’s degree and a multiple subject teaching credential with an emphasis on cultural and linguistic diversity.

This presentation will explore the evolving landscape of literacy education through the lens of the Science of Reading. By unpacking the theoretical models that inform this approach, we will examine how a deeper understanding of why and how we teach reading can revolutionize instructional practices. With an emphasis on empowering educators, this session will highlight the critical components necessary to integrate evidence-based reading strategies, sparking a paradigm shift that enhances student outcomes and literacy achievement across education. 

Cindy Allen-Fuss

Cindy Allen-Fuss is the current Associate Clinical Director at the Children's Dyslexia Center. She assists in the development and implementation of the clinical program that helps children with dyslexia. This nonprofit agency houses more than 40 Centers in 13 states. Outreaches includes curriculum development, presenting, participating in ongoing professional development, and conducting quality assurance visits at the training locations.