Dr. Billie Askew received a PhD in Reading from Texas Woman’s University in 1982. She is an internationally known scholar responsible for bringing to TWU the Reading Recovery Program, a highly effective short-term intervention for the lowest achieving first graders. Reading Recovery, founded by Dame Marie Clay in New Zealand, has brought significant recognition to TWU as one of only two institutions in North America preparing teacher leader trainers and the only institution to educate leaders for Descubriendo la Lectura, Reading Recovery in Spanish. More than 300,000 children in Texas have benefited from this program.
Dr. Askew joined the TWU faculty after a distinguished career in the public school system. During her tenure she received both the Mary Mason Lyons Award for Outstanding Junior Faculty and the Cornaro Award for Outstanding Senior faculty, the highest awards given to TWU faculty. Rarely has a faculty member received both. Upon her retirement, she was named Professor Emerita.
Following her retirement, TWU renamed the Reading Recovery Conference to the Billie J. Askew Reading Recovery and Early Literacy Institute. She is one of the founders of the Reading Recovery Council of North America and served for several years as the United States representative on the International Reading Recovery Trainers Organization Board of Directors. She had been a treasured colleague, mentor and friend to faculty in the university and throughout the nation. She has co-authored several books and chapters in other books, has authored numerous journal articles and made many research and scholarly presentations. She was the recipient of several large grants related to reading programs.
Since retirement, Dr. Askew has continued to support early literacy efforts nationally and internationally. In her roles as teacher, researcher, and writer, she has influenced countless teachers throughout the world resulting in early age success in reading and writing for countless numbers of children.
Dr. Askew enjoys reading, bridge, the theater, and traveling, including a recent trip across China.
page last updated 5/15/2012 4:58 PM