Reading For Our Lives : Interview with Maya Payne Smart

We open up a new season of the Seaway Printing Leadership Interview Series with Maya Payne Smart.

Maya Payne Smart is a passionate literacy advocate who has made it her mission to create opportunities for more children to improve their literacy skills. Her book, Reading for Our Lives: A Literacy Action Plan from Birth to Six, is a comprehensive guide that provides parents, caregivers, and educators with practical strategies for helping children become proficient readers and the positive impact this can have on their entire lives.

Maya's dedication to literacy is deeply rooted in her own childhood experiences. She was named after the legendary author and poet Maya Angelou, and her parents instilled in her a love of reading and language from a very young age. It’s clear talking with Maya that her parents help mold in her a sense of confidence and belief in her abilities, which Maya credits with helping her achieve success in her career and personal life.

She’s carrying on a legacy of love and literacy by working to create opportunities for more children to experience the joy and power of reading. She understands that literacy is not just about mastering the technical skills of reading and writing; it's about unlocking a world of possibilities and opportunities that are only available to those who can read and comprehend.

Reading for Our Lives is a reflection of her deep commitment to this cause. It provides a roadmap for parents and caregivers to help children become lifelong readers, starting from birth. Maya emphasizes the importance of reading aloud, exposing children to a wide range of books and genres, and creating a culture of reading in the home.

She opens up about her own journey and the courage it took to finally take a leap and write Reading for Our Lives. She shares how the LaundryCares Foundation is working to make literacy a part of everyday life by focusing on the role of laundromats in promoting children’s early literacy development, and how other organizations are working toward “meeting them where they’re at” in an effort to makes it easier for parents to get involved with early learning and literacy with their children.

Through her work, Maya is helping to bridge the gap between the children who have access to high-quality literacy resources and those who do not. She believes that every child deserves the opportunity to become proficient readers and unlock their full potential.

Maya Payne Smart is a literacy champion who is making a difference in the lives of children and families. Her passion for literacy is rooted in her own childhood experiences, and she is carrying on a legacy by creating opportunities for more children to improve their literacy skills.

There is a famous quote by Maya Angelou who said “I've learned that people will forget what you said, people will forget what you did, but people will never forget how you made them feel.”

I’m confident Maya Payne Smart is doing the kind of work that will leave a positive impact on countless lives.

It’s the kind of work that people will remember for a long time to come.

Click below for the full interview: