Patricia Mathes, Ph.D.
TI Endowed Chair in Reading Research & Professor
Patricia G. Mathes, Ph. D., is nationally respected for her work in research in early interventions for struggling readers. A former classroom and reading teacher, she received her Ph.D. in Education and Human Development from Peabody College for Teachers of Vanderbilt University in 1992. She has served on the faculties of Developmental Pediatrics at the University of Texas – Houston Medical School, the College of Education at Florida State University, and Peabody College for Teachers at Vanderbilt University. Since 1991 she has conducted large-scale classroom-based reading intervention research with funding from multiple sources, including the U.S. Department of Education, the National Institute of Child Health and Human Development, the National Science Foundation, and state agencies. Dr. Mathes is the author of numerous articles, chapters, books, and curricular materials related to learning and reading disabilities and which address issues of academic diversity and best practices for struggling readers.
Dr. Mathes came to SMU in 2003 as the Texas Instruments Foundation Chair in Reading Research. Under her leadership, the Institute for Reading Research is currently engaged in several federally funded research grants, including Project Scale-up: Scaling-up Effective Interventions for Preventing Reading Difficulties, Project MAXIMIZE: Maximizing Literacy Learning Among Children with Mild to Moderate Mental Retardation, and Project ELLA: English Language/Literacy Acquisition. In addition, she has initiated several projects through private foundation funding, such as the Texas Instruments Model Demonstration Project, whose objective is to demonstrate the power of providing quality early childhood education services in three area Head Start of Greater Dallas Centers in Dallas, Texas.
Dr. Mathes’ awards include the 2002 Interpretive Scholarship Award, given by the American Educational Research Association, for the article “A Call for Equity in Reading Instruction for All Children: A Response to Allington and Woodside-Jiron,” which appeared in Educational Researcher, in 2000. She co-authored this article with Dr. Joseph K. Torgesen. She also received the 2001 Distinguished Early Researcher Career Award from the Council for Exceptional Children, granted for an outstanding contribution to the field of special education in the first 10 years after earning a Ph.D.
Publications
Denton, C.A., Foorman, B.R., Mathes, P.G. (2003) Perspective: Schools the Beat the Odds” – Implication. Remedial and Special Education, 24, 258-272.
Grek, M.L. Mathes, P.G., & Torgesen, J.K. (2003). Observations of supplemental reading instruction. In S.Vaughn & K. Briggs (Eds.) Observational Techniques in Educational Research, Baltimore, MD: Paul H. Brooks.
Mathes P.G. Torgesen, J.K, Menchetti, J.C., Santi, K., Nicholas, K., Robinson, C. A (2003). Comparison of Teacher-Directed versus Peer-Assisted Instruction to Struggling First-Grade Readers. Elementary School Journal, 103, 459-479.
Mathes, P. G., & Denton, C.A. (2003). Reading disability: A construct in transition. In S. Goldman (Ed.) The encyclopedia of education.
Mathes, P. G., Denton, C. A., Fletcher, J. M., Anthony, J. L., Francis, D. J., & Schatschneider, C. (in press). An evaluation of two reading interventions derived from diverse models. Reading Research Quarterly.
Mathes, P.G, & Denton, C.A “Slow-Responders” in Early Literacy Interventions. (2003). In B. Foorman (Ed.) Effective Preventions and Interventions for Children At-Risk of Reading Difficulties or with Identified Reading Disabilities. Baltimore, MD: York Press.
Pearson, J.M., Mathes, P.G., Liberman, D. Allor, J.A., Burridge, A. (in press). The Effect of Peer-Assisted Literacy Strategies on Phonemic Awareness and Lexical Retrieval for Low-achieving First-grade Readers. Reading Psychology.
Vaughn S., Linan-Thompson, S., Mathes, P.G., Cirinio, P.T., Carlson,C., Francis, D.G., Duradola, S.P, & Hagan, E.C., (in press). Effectiveness of Spanish Intervention for 1st Grade English Language Learners At Risk for Reading Difficulties. Journal of Educational Psychology.
Vaughn, S.R., Mathes, P.G., & Linan-Thompson (in press) Teaching English language learners at risk for reading difficulties to read in Spanish or English. Learning Disabilities Research and Practice
Curricular Materials
Mathes,
P.G., Torgesen, J.K, Menchetti, J.C., Wahl, M., & Grek, M.K. (2004) Proactive
Early Intervention in Reading. (Teacher guides, daily lessons materials, and
student activity books for first-grade reading intervention). Columbus, Ohio:
SRA/McGraw-Hill.
Mathes, P. G., Linan-Thompson, S., Pollard-Duradola, S. D., Hagan, E. C., & Vaughn, S. (2003). Lectura proactive para principiantes: Intensive small group instruction for Spanish speaking readers. Developed with funds provided by the National Institute of Child Health and Human Development (#HD-99-012), Development of English Literacy in Spanish Speaking Children.
Mathes, P.G., Torgesen, J.K., & Herron, J. Continuous Monitoring of Early Reading Skills (CMERS) ( In press)[Computer software]. San Rafael, CA: Talking Fingers, Inc