Mary Hoch, Ed.D.
Title:
Assistant Professor, Reading & Language
Programs/Classes Taught:
Teaching Beginning Reading
Teaching Comprehension and Content Area Reading
Teaching Writing
Diagnosis and Assessment of Reading
Instructional Strategies for Literacy Interventions
Practicum A: Literacy Interventions for Elementary Students
Practicum B: Literacy Interventions for Secondary Students
M.A.T. in Elementary Education
Literacy Methods I: Grades K-4
Areas of Expertise:
- Struggling Readers
- Reading Assessment and Diagnosing Difficulties
- Early Literacy
- Reading Comprehension
- Instructional Interventions
- Literacy Tutoring
Biography:
Dr. Hoch has been teaching at NLU since 2011, and has been Director of The Reading Center since 2012. She teaches classes in literacy, including clinical courses. She supervises practica in reading at Lisle, and oversees all clinical sites, which include North Shore and Chicago.
Before joining NLU, Dr. Hoch worked at several Joliet Public School sites in various capacities, including Assistant Principal, Curriculum Specialist, and Reading Teacher. Additionally, she worked in general education as a classroom teacher at several southwest suburban elementary school sites. Her entire elementary teaching and administration career was spent working with students of diverse backgrounds who struggle with learning. Throughout her career, her focus has always been literacy learning.
Education:
Ed.D. Reading and Language, National Louis University, 2015
M.A. Educational Administration, Governors State University, 2005
B.A. Elementary Education, Lewis University, 1997
Research and Interests:
Dr. Hoch has authored practice-based publications, in collaboration with teachers and colleagues, which focus on instructional strategy design and implementation, including:
Nagel, C. & Hoch, M. (2014). Understanding power and fear - School integration in the South (1954-1964). Reading.org, Available at https://www.literacyworldwide.org/docs/default-source/member-benefits/bridges/ila-bridges-7003.pdf
Hoch, M., Bernhardt, R., Murphy-Schiller, M., & Fisher, P.J. (2013). Three important words: Students choose vocabulary to build comprehension of informational text. Illinois Reading Council Journal, 41 (3), 3-12.
Most recently, she concluded a research study involving the use of digital reading and writing tools with students of all ages. This study was conducted at NLU’s reading clinic, and included struggling readers and ELs. Her work contributed to a growing body of research on helping students experience success with literacy in a digital age. Primarily, this work focused on providing a scaffolded approach to addressing critical online reading and writing skills. She plans to continue to study literacy learning with digital technologies within the clinical setting.
