About the author and the brilliant mind behind THE SPALDING METHOD^®

Romalda Bishop Spalding was passionate about making sure every child could read.

After realizing that her exceptional preparation was not enough to teach all children to read and write successfully, she sought guidance and training from the distinguished neurologist Dr. Samuel T. Orton, a leader and specialist in helping dyslexic and other children with learning difficulties. As a result, Romalda Spalding created a method that empowered children to become fluent and thoughtful readers and writers and she established The Spalding Education Foundation in 1986.

The purpose of introducing the Spalding Education Foundation (now Spalding Education International) to the world was to perpetuate her method and to transmit the principles and procedures that, to this day, make THE SPALDING METHOD^® so effective.

Spalding Education International (SEI) is a non-profit corporation. To promote and advance the method further, we offer courses and online components to certify, teachers, and instructors in THE SPALDING METHOD^®. We also provide SEI Accreditation and onsite staff development for schools, and districts.

Birthplace and Date
Santa Rosa, Honduras on February 1, 1899

Place and Date of Death
Honolulu, Hawaii on January 29, 1994

Education

Bachelor of Arts Degree, University of Illinois, 1921
Master of Arts and diploma, Supervisor of Elementary Education, Teachers College, Columbia University, 1932

Additional studies

Studied under Dr. Samuel T. Orton, distinguished neurologist, who specialized in helping dyslexic and other learning-disabled children
Mrs. Spalding tutored children under Dr. Orton’s supervision
Mrs. Spalding taught older children with Dr. Orton’s guidance and realized that the techniques that worked so well with the child having the most difficulty it also prevented problems from developing in other children in her classes.
At Dr. Orton’s invitation, she attended a course he gave to pediatricians where she learned that the method of teaching determines which pathways develop in the brain.

Publications

The Writing Road to Reading, with a recording of the sounds of seventy phonograms commonly used in English, William Morrow and Company, 1957, 1962, 1969, 1986, 1990, 2003

Special Honors and Awards

Men and Women of Hawaii, 1954, 1966, 1977
Two Thousand Women of Achievement, Melrose Press, London, England, 1972
Who’s Who of American Women, Marquis, 1975, Ninth Edition
Chaminade University inaugurated the Spalding Institute to carry on The Writing Road to Reading method, 1980
1986 Washburn Award from Reading Reform Foundation
1989 Teachers Medal from Freedoms Foundation of Valley Forge

Professional and Honorary Societies

Honorary Doctor of Humane Letters, Chaminade University of Honolulu, 1975
Member, National League of American Pen Women
Advisor to International Montessori Society
Council of Advisors, Orton Dyslexia Society, 1985 until death
Founder and Chairman of Spalding Education Foundation, 1986 until death

Romalda's Experience

1921-1924

Classroom teacher, Community School, St. Louis, Missouri

1924-1927

Classroom teacher, Katherine Branson School, Ross, California

1927-1931

Classroom teacher, Birch Walthen School, New York City

1932

M.A. Columbia University

1931-1941

Classroom teacher, Bronxville Public Elementary Schools, Bronxville, New York

1938-1941

Taught a boy from the middle of his kindergarten year through second grade, directly under the meticulous supervision of Dr. Samuel T. Orten. Later taught several older students under his direction.

1941-1945

Shady Hill School, Cambridge, Massachusetts: Teacher of Students with language problems from third through ninth grade. Taught each year groups of graduates from Smith, Vassar, Radcliffe, Bryn Mawr and other girls’ schools. These girls spent a year at Shady Hill School in order to learn to teach. Worked with physicians of Children’s Hospital at Harvard Medical School.

1945

Marriage to Commander Walter T. Spalding

1945-1951

Tutoring at two private schools and consulting in Hawaii

1951-1983

Member of Summer School Staff at Chaminade University of Honolulu

1956-1960

Consultant in reading to the Superintendent of Catholic Schools for state of Hawaii

1960-1981

Taught hundreds of individual students of all ages

1965-1971

Summer Instructor at Assumption College, Worcester, Massachusetts

1952-1986

Instructor of approximately 120 college credit Spalding classes of teachers and parents in mainland states, Hawaii, Alaska, and Canada.

1985-1992

Spalding consultant to more than 50 schools in mainland states and Hawaii; certified first 16 Spalding Teacher Instructors.

1994

Deceased

Spalding Education International
23335 N. 18th Drive, Suite 102
Phoenix, AZ 85027
623.434.1204
staff@spalding.org

Our mission is to increase literacy for all children and adults by using THE SPALDING METHOD^® to develop skilled readers, critical listeners, and accomplished writers and spellers.

About the author and the brilliant mind behind THE SPALDING METHOD®