Stanford Earl Taylor
Stan’s pioneering work was based on the understanding that reading was most effectively approached as a multisensory experience.
Born in 1927 in Austin, Texas, and the son of educators, Stan developed an early passion for learning and a penchant for invention. As a young man, he worked side by side with his father, Earl Aulick Taylor, in reading research, development, and the design and implementation of visual training devices used in reading labs throughout the country.
Stan dedicated over half a century to the study of silent reading fluency and the application of silent reading research to reading pedagogy and reading intervention technology. He developed an array of reading assessment and instructional tools, including the Visagraph, a diagnostic screener that evaluated a person’s eye-movement behavior while reading, and the original Reading Plus system.
Throughout his career, Stan forged collaborations between vision and literacy experts, revealing the essential and overlooked role the eyes play in the reading process. His direct involvement with schools, teachers, and students resulted in groundbreaking reading research and more than 300 publications. His contributions to the body of knowledge were extensive, including orchestrating the largest silent reading norm study ever conducted in the United States.
The Stanford Taylor Foundation is honored to continue Stan’s legacy through continued dedication to research, data-informed instruction, and innovation.
