Dr. Mónica Lara
Chief Executive Officer
Dr. Lara is the CEO, a senior educational consultant for Bilingualism and Biliteracy, Keynote speaker, and author of ¡Toma la palabra!: Enlazando la oralidad y la lectoescritura and The Structure of a Reading Test in Grade 1: In Search of a Relationship with Reading in Spanish. She is also the co-author of ELLs in Texas: What Teachers Need to Know and ELs in Texas: What School Leaders Need to Know. She has been in education for over thirty years. Her roles in education include experience as a teacher, reading specialist, assistant principal, and educational specialist in the areas of dyslexia and bilingual/ESL education.
Dr. Lara is a recipient of the 2019 Future School Leaders Leadership Legacy Award, a testament to her commitment and belief in teaching all learners. Dr. Lara’s biliterate and bicultural belief system is engaging, invigorating, and refreshing when she delivers her signature message: Enseñanza para todos (teaching for all).
She is currently a visiting professor/lecturer at Purdue University. In addition, she assists districts in evaluating their Bilingual/ESL programs, and serves as an administrator and teacher coach/mentor, to insure accountability and implementation of best practices for English Learners (ELs). She holds a Masters of Arts degree in reading and a Ph.D. in Culture, Literacy, and Language. Her research interests include early reading assessment, biliteracy education, and English as a second language.
Author Of
¡Toma la palabra!: Enlazando la oralidad y la lectoescritura
Research-based strategies designed to increase comprehensible input and provide low-stress opportunities for language output and interaction.
ELs in Texas: What School Leaders Need to Know
A guide to help educators and school districts navigate the challenges and learning opportunities unique to SIFE (Students with Interrupted Formal Education).
ELLs in Texas: What Teachers Need to Know
A guide to help educators and school districts navigate the challenges and learning opportunities unique to SIFE (Students with Interrupted Formal Education).
Dr. Lara is an excellent presenter! The audience was engaged and attentive the entire day. The information presented was very informative and gave several examples with scenarios.
Dr. Lara was fantastic! Our teachers were extremely pleased with her presentation style and the content delivered. We are already observing our teachers transfer the academic language strategies into their lesson plans and classroom practices.