Katherine McKnight

Award-Winning Author & Expert on Educational Leadership, Literacy and Student Skill Development

Travels From Travels From:
Chicago, IL, USA
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Katherine McKnight Biography

Dr. Katherine McKnight is an engaging speaker, dedicated teacher, researcher, and award-winning author with a passion for transforming literacy education. Her impressive career blends research with practicality, positioning her to empower teachers and directly impact student outcomes.

Starting as an English and social studies teacher in Chicago Public Schools, Dr. McKnight’s commitment to student engagement set the path for her future work. She spent 15 years teaching at the university level. Her career in higher education culminated in her appointment as a Distinguished Professor of Research at National Louis University. In 2015, she founded Dr. Katie McKnight’s Engaging Learners, an education company built around her innovative Literacy & Learning Centers. She has helped turn around many struggling schools with this centers-stations-and-rotations collaborative learning model that is designed specifically for grade 4-12 learners.

She has written extensively, authoring 25 books that support educational strategies to engage all learners. Her popular book, "The Teacher’s Big Book of Graphic Organizers," won the 2013 Teachers’ Choice Award. Other key titles include "Literacy & Learning Centers for the Big Kids, Grades 4-12" and "The Second City Guide to Improv in the Classroom." Dr. McKnight collaborated with literacy specialist Alan Sitomer to create the research-based writing program Short, Short, BIG. Dr. McKnight influences educators and boosts teaching confidence worldwide with classroom-tested instructional practices that are backed by research and personal experience. She and Dr. Jennifer French co-host the podcast The Science of Reading for Grades 4-12 with Katie & Jen. Dr. McKnight gained national attention for her 2024 EdWeek Market Reports prediction that the Science of Reading body of research will soon take hold in upper grades. “Many middle school teachers are alarmed by the lack of foundational skills they see in their classes and are weighing how phonics and other strategies should be applied” to support their students.

As a consultant to schools across the U.S. and internationally, Dr. McKnight is committed to improving educational practices and supporting teachers. Her Coffee with Katie and Richard webinar series, launched during the COVID-19 pandemic with Dr. Richard Cash, became a global platform for K-12 educators to engage in valuable professional training as they dealt with the pressures of adapting instruction and maintaining teacher-student relationships.

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Speaker profile last updated by AAE Talent Team on 05/21/2024.

Katherine McKnight Speaking Topics

  • Science of Reading

    The term Science of Reading is everywhere! But what does it really mean and how can educators best leverage the research findings? Let Dr. McKnight help you answer the important questions: What key instructional practices build better readers, writers, and thinkers? How do we bridge the gap between state and district policy and our classrooms? Go beyond K-5 with foundational literacy for all students, even the “big kids” in middle school and high school.

  • Reading and Writing for the Big Kids

    So often, adolescent readers can decode text but as soon as teachers ask them to dig more deeply, we find that they are unable to do so. Understanding the author's message, the main idea, or theme is oftentimes challenging. In this presentation, Dr. McKnight introduces educators to classroom-ready strategies that all content area/discipline area teachers can use to build student comprehension.

  • Standards- and Skills-Based Grading

    Attendees, both teachers and administrators, discover the value of examining their school’s existing proficiency scales, identifying strengths and weaknesses, and creating customized proficiency scales as needed. Teachers are given tips for recognizing the goals of the standards and instructional methods that align with those goals. Administrators learn the importance of streamlining content and aligning it with clarified goals, and they explore a few best practices that will position teaching staff to dramatically increase their teaching effectiveness.

  • Improv and Active Learning: Yes...And for the Classroom

    Improvisation builds growth mindset and promotes literacy skill development because it encourages creation, analysis, and interpretation of text. It enhances community, encouraging an atmosphere in which creative risk-taking is the norm rather than the exception and it supports an educational environment in which all students are truly included. Dr. McKnight leads an active learning workshop; participants can expect to be on their feet, discovering the principals of classroom improv and identifying effective applications in whatever content area they teach.

  • Literacy & Learning Centers: The Intersection of Literacy and Disciplinary Knowledge (grades 4-12)

    Elementary schools have long used learning centers – also known as “rotations” or “stations.” But middle and high school teachers have unique challenges, so Dr. Katherine McKnight developed collaborative learning centers designed specifically for grade 4-12 learners. Literacy & Learning Centers are an effective tool in all classrooms, and they’re being used in districts all over the country to improve.

Katherine McKnight Videos

  • Literacy and Learning - Katherine McKnight
  • Interview with Katie McKnight, Author of Common Core Literacy ...
    In this hands-on resource, Common Core literacy expert Katherine McKnight offers secondary teachers a clear understanding of what literacy looks like...
  • Katie McKnight Podcast Series #5 - Differentiated Instruction ...

Katherine McKnight Books

  • Common Core Literacy for ELA, History/Social Studies, and the Humanities: Strategies to Deepen Content Knowledge (Grades 6-12)
    Common Core Literacy for ELA, History/Social Studies, and the Humanities: Strategies to Deepen Content Knowledge (Grades 6-12)
  • Literacy & Learning Centers for the Big Kids: Building Literacy Skills and Content Knowledge for Grades 4-12, Second Edition
    Literacy & Learning Centers for the Big Kids: Building Literacy Skills and Content Knowledge for Grades 4-12, Second Edition
  • Literacy & Learning Centers: Content Area and Disciplinary Literacy Tools for Grades 4-12 (Volume)
    Literacy & Learning Centers: Content Area and Disciplinary Literacy Tools for Grades 4-12 (Volume)
  • The Elementary Teacher's Big Book of Graphic Organizers, K-5: 100+ Ready-to-Use Organizers That Help Kids Learn Language Arts, Science, Social Studies, and More
    The Elementary Teacher's Big Book of Graphic Organizers, K-5: 100+ Ready-to-Use Organizers That Help Kids Learn Language Arts, Science, Social Studies, and More
  • The English Teacher's Survival Guide: Ready-To-Use Techniques and Materials for Grades 7-12
    The English Teacher's Survival Guide: Ready-To-Use Techniques and Materials for Grades 7-12
  • The Teacher's Big Book of Graphic Organizers: 100 Reproducible Organizers that Help Kids with Reading, Writing, and the Content Areas
    The Teacher's Big Book of Graphic Organizers: 100 Reproducible Organizers that Help Kids with Reading, Writing, and the Content Areas

Speaker Lists Featuring Katherine McKnight

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  • What topics does Katherine McKnight speak about?

    Katherine McKnight is a keynote speaker and industry expert whose speaking topics include Authors, Consulting, Corporate Culture, Education, Education Reform, Educational Motivational, Government, Human Resources, Literacy, Mindset, Motivational, Personal Growth.
  • Where does Katherine McKnight travel from?

    Katherine McKnight generally travels from Chicago, IL, USA, but can be booked for private corporate events, personal appearances, keynote speeches, or other performances. For more details, please contact an AAE Booking agent.
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Katherine McKnight is a keynote speaker and industry expert who speaks on a wide range of topics such as Science of Reading, Reading and Writing for the Big Kids, Standards- and Skills-Based Grading, Improv and Active Learning: Yes...And for the Classroom and Literacy & Learning Centers: The Intersection of Literacy and Disciplinary Knowledge (grades 4-12). The estimated speaking fee range to book Katherine McKnight for your event is $5,000 - $10,000. Katherine McKnight generally travels from Chicago, IL, USA and can be booked for (private) corporate events, personal appearances, keynote speeches, or other performances. Similar motivational celebrity speakers are Donalyn Miller, Robyn Jackson, Emily Diehl, Rodney Robinson and Cris Tovani. Contact All American Speakers for ratings, reviews, videos and information on scheduling Katherine McKnight for an upcoming live or virtual event.

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