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Using Language Materials with Purpose

Dr. Susan Zoll

Description

Join Dr. Susan Zoll, literacy expert and Montessori educator, as she shares strategies for assessing and supporting children’s literacy development within both Montessori and traditional education settings. With years of experience as a literacy coach, teacher trainer, and author, Susan offers practical tools to help you understand how to track progress and ensure children are moving forward in their learning.

In this session, you’ll discover:

  • How to use observations and record-keeping to assess literacy development

  • The importance of vocabulary and language comprehension, alongside decoding skills

  • Practical tools like personalized literacy plans, checklists, and learning environments to support language growth

Susan also emphasizes the value of building reading and vocabulary skills from an early age, using Montessori materials and methods to support children’s natural development.

Featuring

Dr. Susan Zoll

Dr. Susan Zoll is a Montessorian who has served as tenured professor and led several literacy projects funded by the U.S. Department of Education. She has co-chaired the American Montessori Society’s (AMS) Research Committee and received the AMS 2025 Impact Award. She is the co-author of three books: Implementing the Montessori Method: Learner-Centered Education from Birth through Adolescence (2026), Effective Literacy Assessment in the Montessori Classroom: Using Data to Inform Instruction (2025), and Powerful Literacy in the Montessori Classroom: Aligning Reading Research and Practice (2023).

Lucie-Tamasova-SQ2-461x461

Lucie Brixi Tamášová is first and foremost a mother of three children (and two wonderful bonus children). For more than 17 years, she has been searching for kind, practical, and research-based answers to the everyday challenges of parenting and helping make them accessible to families around the world.

She is the founder of international projects including Childhood Potential Club, Montessori Parenting, and the Childhood Potential Conference, through which she connects parents, educators, and leading child development experts from across the globe. Through her work, she promotes a respectful and conscious approach to children while helping parents navigate everyday life with greater calm, understanding, and confidence.

Alongside her international work, Lucie also leads educational projects in Kenya and Guinea through the NGO Centrum Dialog, helping provide access to quality education for children with limited opportunities. She deeply believes that conscious support of children has the power to positively shape the future of society as a whole.

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