Gail M. Wolf earned her BSN at University of Arizona and her Master’s of Science (nursing education focus and health administration minor) from Regis University.
She earned her Doctorate in Education and Professional Studies at Capella University. Her research was concerning early literacy, beginning reading instruction and the connection to health. Gail views poor literacy as a public health concern; poor literacy is hidden chronic disease, and like all chronic diseases, more efficient and effective to prevent poor literacy in childhood, than the treat in later years.

Gail is an AACN board certified Gerontological Nurse and enjoys working with the older adult to promote healthy living; helping with water aerobics.
Gail’s additional nursing background includes public health (13 years), long term care, developmental disabilities, and hospital/acute care (13 years).  

Previously Gail taught in the nursing program at Umpqua Community College in Roseburg, Oregon; and she has now taught 10 years in the OHSU RNBS Baccalaureate Completion program.

A Passion
Gail has a passion for prevention of poor literacy; promoting literacy and promoting health. For over a decade she has volunteered at a local YMCA preschool teaching children to read.
Through doctoral research, Gail found that poor early childhood literacy is linked to poor health, early school dropout, entrance into crime, and early mortality.
Gail presents her research on early literacy and the connection to health at the May 2013 National Institute for Healthcare Advancement’s Health Literacy Conference.
Currently, Gail is working with the State of Oregon Head Start parents, teachers, directors and administrators giving conferences and seminars on the evidence-based childhood and family literacy program.

She has was awarded a National Institute of Health (NIH) grant and completed research on early literacy.  Published in Early Childhood Education Journal.

Link:  https://www.nicbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4733470/

Gail just finished a biliteracy research study to be published in the International Journal of Bilingual Education and Bilingualism.

Wolf, G.M. (2020). Using scaffolded text with systematic progression of spelling patterns to promote Hispanic children’s early literacy. International Journal of Bilingual Education and Bilingualism. doi:10.1080/13670050.2020.1749231

Wolf, G.M. (2023, in press). Beginning reading instruction: Application of theory and research to practice.  International Journal of Linguistics, 15(2). doi: available when published.