Meghan Liebfreund

Biography

Dr. Meghan Liebfreund is an Associate Professor in the Elementary Education Department at Towson University where she works predominately in the Graduate Reading Education Program. She earned her Ph.D. in Curriculum and Instruction, specializing in Literacy Education, from North Carolina State University. Just out of her doctoral program, she received the International Literacy Association’s Dissertation Award. Her work was subsequently published in Reading Research Quarterly and Reading & Writing. Dr. Liebfreund continues to delve deeply into the underlying factors of text comprehension, including motivation and learning differences. Her scholarship covers a breadth of topics—including text comprehension, text appropriation, reading motivation, and technology integration—all grounded in efforts to support diverse readers experiencing challenges and their teachers. She currently teaches courses in literacy theory, materials, and instruction while serving as the Graduate Reading Education Program Director.

Publications

Liebfreund, M. D. (2021). Cognitive and motivational predictors of narrative and informational text comprehension. Reading Psychology.

Liebfreund, M. D., Porter, S. R., Amendum, S. A., & Starcke, M. A. (accepted). Using an assessment system for data-driven reform: Effects of mCLASS on third-grade reading test scores and special education placement. The Elementary School Journal.

Liebfreund, M. D., & Wrenn, M. (in press). Group membership and talk quality in university book clubs. Journal of Learning and Teaching in Higher Education.

Amendum, S. J., & Liebfreund, M. D. (2019). Situated learning, professional development, and early reading intervention: A mixed methods study. The Journal of Educational Research, 112(3), 342-35. doi: 10.1080/00220671.2018.1523782

Liebfreund, M. D., & Amendum, S. J. (2017). Teachers’ experiences providing one-on-one instruction to struggling readers. Reading Horizons, 56(4), 64-84.

Liebfreund, M. D. (2017). Lingua anglia: Bridging language and learners--Facilitate informational text comprehension with vocabulary instruction. English Journal, 106(4), 76–78.

Liebfreund, M. D., & Conradi, K. (2016). Component skills affecting elementary students’ informational text comprehension. Reading & Writing, 29(6), 1141-1160. doi: 10.1007/s11145-016-9629-9

Amendum, S. J., Conradi, K., & Liebfreund, M. D. (2016). The push for more challenging texts: An analysis of early readers’ rate, accuracy, and comprehension. Reading Psychology, 37(4), 570-600. doi: 10.1080/02702711.2015.1072609

Conradi, K., Amendum, S. J., & Liebfreund, M. D. (2016).  Explaining variance in comprehension success for students in a high-poverty setting. Reading & Writing Quarterly, 32, 427-453. doi: 10.1080/10573569.2014.994251

Liebfreund, M. D. (2015). Success with informational text comprehension: An examination of underlying factors. Reading Research Quarterly, 50(4), 385–503. doi: 10.1002/rrq.109

Presentations

Liebfreund, M. D., & Pendleton, M. (2017, June). Benefits, challenges, and practical tips for conducting university book clubs. Paper presentation at the Lilly International Conference, Bethesda, MD.

Liebfreund, M. D. (2016, December). Improving reading comprehension for students with Autism: A formative approach. Paper presentation at the annual meeting of the Literacy Research Association, Nashville, TN.

Liebfreund, M. D. (2017). Lingua anglia: Bridging language and learners--Facilitate informational text comprehension with vocabulary instruction. English Journal, 106(4), 76–78.

Pendleton, M., & Liebfreund, M. D. (2017, July). Investigating the role of group composition on discussion quality in a university book club on multicultural children’s literature. Paper presentation at the meeting of the European Conference on Literacy, Madrid, Spain.