Cindy Downend

Director, Literacy Programs

What I like most about my role within the Center is…

I love to teach! It is so rewarding to see how our work with educators can be so empowering and transformative. When you think in new ways about literacy teaching and learning, you change your practice to improve the school experiences of children.

What I believe in

The power of literacy to improve, enrich, and change people’s lives.

Previous work highlights

Many years as a classroom teacher, Reading Recovery teacher, and literacy coach in Michigan, Germany, Minnesota, and Florida.

Favorite book

All The Light We Cannot See, by Anthony Doerr

Fun fact

Many years ago I was smuggled across an international border to go snow-skiing!

Education

MA, Elementary Education, Western Michigan University
EdS, Educational Leadership, Nova Southeastern University

August 1, 2025 Nikki Drury, Literacy Trainer

Reading to Learn While Learning to Read

Is it reading to learn or learning to read? In reality, these two processes develop together, not one after the other. As children are learning how print works, they are also learning from what they read. They are making sense of language.

June 23, 2025 Heather Rodman, Literacy Trainer

Beyond Right and Wrong: Cultivating Deep Comprehension Through Teacher Listening

What do you listen for during comprehension conversations? The answer to this question might be the key to facilitating conversations that evoke and foster deep, meaningful, stimulating discourse during whole group, small group, and individual conversations.

June 13, 2025 Linda Murphy, Associate Director of Literacy Programs

AI Prompting with Purpose: 5 Tips for Teachers

AI has been increasingly integrated into our daily lives. As we learn how to use AI in productive ways with students and for instructional planning, an important skill to develop is effective prompting.