Gay Su Pinnell (born June 28, 1944) is an American educational theorist and a professor emerita at the School of Teaching and Learning at
Ohio State University
The Ohio State University, commonly called Ohio State or OSU, is a public land-grant research university in Columbus, Ohio. A member of the University System of Ohio, it has been ranked by major institutional rankings among the best pu ...
. She is best known for her work with
Irene Fountas
Irene C. Fountas (born 14 August 1948) is an American educational whole language theorist. She teaches at Lesley University
Lesley University is a private university in Cambridge, Massachusetts. It is accredited by the New England Commission o ...
on
literacy
Literacy in its broadest sense describes "particular ways of thinking about and doing reading and writing" with the purpose of understanding or expressing thoughts or ideas in written form in some specific context of use. In other words, hum ...
and
guided reading
Guided reading is "small-group reading instruction designed to provide differentiated teaching that supports students in developing reading proficiency". The small group model allows students to be taught in a way that is intended to be more focus ...
a
whole language
Whole language is a philosophy of reading and a discredited educational method originally developed for teaching literacy in English to young children. The method became a major model for education in the United States, Canada, New Zealand, and ...
teaching framework which layed the groundwork for the
Fountas and Pinnell reading levels.
Education
Pinnell's parents were educators in Portales, New Mexico and Pinnell has an undergraduate degree from
Eastern New Mexico University. In 1975, Pinnell earned her Ph.D. from Ohio State University where she worked on language in first grade students. In 2018,
Lesley University
Lesley University is a private university in Cambridge, Massachusetts. It is accredited by the New England Commission of Higher Education. As of 2018-19 Lesley University enrolled 6,593 students (2,707 undergraduate and 3,886 graduate).
Histor ...
awarded Pinnell an honorary doctorate to recognize her contributions to childhood literacy.
Career
Working with Irene Fountas, Pinnell developed a
whole language
Whole language is a philosophy of reading and a discredited educational method originally developed for teaching literacy in English to young children. The method became a major model for education in the United States, Canada, New Zealand, and ...
system of
guided reading
Guided reading is "small-group reading instruction designed to provide differentiated teaching that supports students in developing reading proficiency". The small group model allows students to be taught in a way that is intended to be more focus ...
for teachers which assigns letters (A through Z, commonly known as the Fountas and Pinnell reading levels) to students based on their reading ability and comprehension. Their work is also known as leveled reading, and establishes guidelines to identify books for children by reading level. Pinnell's books include ''Guided Reading Good First Teaching for All Children'' that was reviewed by
Harvard Educational Review
The ''Harvard Educational Review'' is an academic journal of opinion and research dealing with education, associated with the Harvard Graduate School of Education, and published by the Harvard Education Publishing Group. The journal was establishe ...
, ''Literacy Quick Guide'' for pre-K to 8th grade, and ''Matching Books to Readers'' that was reviewed by
Education Review.
Pinnell also contributed financially to literacy programs for young children, including multiple contributions to Ohio State's Literacy Collaborative and she endowed the Mary Fried Endowed Clinical Professorship at Ohio State University in 2020. Eastern New Mexico University named her Philanthropist of the Year in 2019.
Selected publications
*
*
*
Awards
*Charles A. Dana Award for Pioneering Achievement in Education (1993)
*Hall of Fame, International Reading Association (1999)
*Alumni Medalist Award, Ohio State University Alumni Association (2016)
*Inaugural winner of the Diane Lapp & James Flood Professional Collaborator Award, International Literacy Association (2018)
*International Reading Association’s Albert J. Harris Award
References
External links
Fountas & Pinnell Literacy
*, May 22, 2018
{{DEFAULTSORT:Pinnell, Gay Su
Ohio State University alumni
Ohio State University faculty
American educational theorists
1944 births
Living people
Eastern New Mexico University alumni