Kathy Lauritzen, M. Ed., is currently an instructor of reading in the Graduate Divisions of both Johns Hopkins University and Goucher College. She is a former elementary school teacher, school-based reading specialist, and Central Office reading specialist for the public school system in Anne Arundel County, Maryland.

She began her career in public education as a classroom teacher in grades 3 – 5. After 15 years in the classroom she moved into the role of reading specialist serving two elementary schools simultaneously. In the role of Central Office reading specialist she has participated in writing curriculum based on state and national standards. Kathy has developed and provided numerous staff development sessions to teachers and administrators to ensure the successful implementation of that curriculum. She has also developed milestone assessments for grades 2-5 aligned to state standards. In response to the Maryland Task Force Report, she led a team of specialists in creating a primary curriculum document focused on the systematic, explicit teaching of word identification skills, including phonemic awareness, phonics, structural analysis and high frequency vocabulary. This curriculum document features best practices, assessments, and research-based techniques that actively engage students. She has worked with teachers and specialists across the curriculum to design plans that provide intervention for struggling readers, acceleration for gifted learners, and developmentally appropriate content reading strategies to support learners in both the elementary and middle school settings.

As a staff developer, Kathy has enjoyed much success in working with teachers and administrators in grades K-12 to provide on-going training to individuals, small groups, and large groups within her district. Her long-term association with the local and state International Reading Association affiliate councils has provided her with leadership experience and numerous opportunities to present to audiences outside of her own district.

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