Laurie Rubin

For twenty-three years Laurie Rubin taught first and second grades in Ithaca, New York, where nature study became the heart of her curriculum. She currently consults and presents on a variety of education topics including literacy and critical-thinking skills. She continues to connect children to the natural world by teaching school- and community-based workshops.

When Laurie became a mother, she was amazed at how her daughter absorbed new information at a seemingly astronomical pace. "When I volunteered in her pre-K classroom I discovered that I loved working with young children and loved creating stimulating learning experiences for them," she says, adding that through teaching she learned how to "be a better writer, reader, and mathematician, and I developed new passions in my life."

Laurie received her master's degree from the University of New Hampshire. Her areas of specialty include writing instruction, reading comprehension strategies, and literacy through nature study.