Marie Clay
Marie M. Clay began her career as a classroom teacher and worked in the Psychological Service of the New Zealand Ministry of Education until she was appointed to the University of Auckland, where she prepared psychologists for that service for the next thirty years. Her extensive research in normal and clinical aspects of developmental psychology has real world application in two directions: in practical contributions to classroom practice in the early years of schooling and in preventing literacy problems by early intervention.
She has been Visiting Professor at Ohio State University, University of Illinois, Texas Woman's University, Oxford University, and the Institute of Education at the University of London and is Professor Emeritus at the University of Auckland. She was President of the International Reading Association in 1992-1993 and is currently urging teachers to think about literacy awareness and the power of writing as a part of the challenge to literacy improvement.
Marie passed away in spring 2007.
