Tonya Ward Singer, M.F.A., is language development and literacy consultant with extensive classroom experience helping English language learners and striving readers succeed. Through custom trainings and on-site support, she specializes in empowering educators and administrators to translate research into concrete strategies for enhancing student writing, academic language development, and literacy. 

A popular seminar speaker, Tonya travels nationally to engage K-8 educators in interactive trainings that synthesize theory and research into easy-to-use instructional tools.  She works extensively with the Sonoma County Office of Education and multiple school districts across California to train teachers and administrators, coach in classrooms and facilitate program improvement to ensure all students succeed.

Tonya Ward Singer is currently co-authoring, with Dr. Kate Kinsella, a language development curriculum for Scholastic’s READ 180 program.  Her previous Scholastic publications include “A Literature Circle's Guide for Holes by Louis Sachar” (2003) and The Scholastic Teacher Plan Book (2001). In addition, her creative work has appeared in many publications including the San Francisco Chronicle, and the Seal Press anthology Expat: Women's True Stories from Life Abroad, (2002).

Tonya received her B.A. in Sociology from Wesleyan University with Phi Beta Kappa honors and M.F.A. in writing from Goddard College in Vermont. She holds K-8 multiple-subject teaching credentials in both California and Texas, and is an active member of the California Association of Bilingual Education, National Council of Teachers of English, and Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development. She is fluent in Spanish and has beginning level proficiency in Mandarin Chinese.