Nora Chahbazi advances evidence-based literacy instruction through EBLI

Nora Chahbazi, founder and CEO of EBLI, is using evidence-based literacy methods to reshape reading, spelling and writing instruction after more than 20 years in the field. Her work has reached teachers in all 50 states and 26 countries, with studies involving more than 2,500 students and a growing national profile.

Why it matters: - EBLI centers on reading, spelling and writing instruction grounded in the Science of Reading and the Science of Learning. - Nora Chahbazi’s work targets a persistent literacy problem: 68% of U.S. fourth-grade students are not proficient in reading, according to NAEP. - The approach aims to reduce the cognitive burden of traditional reading instruction while giving educators a more practical, research-informed method.

What happened: - Nora Chahbazi, founder and CEO of EBLI, was spotlighted by Influential Women for her work in literacy education. - Chahbazi has spent more than two decades helping educators, parents and learners improve reading, writing and spelling outcomes. - She built EBLI after her daughter struggled with reading in the mid-1990s and she set out to find a more effective way to teach literacy. - She established the Ounce of Prevention Reading Center in 1999 and launched EBLI in 2003. - EBLI training has reached thousands of teachers, paraprofessionals, parents and literacy professionals in all 50 states and 26 countries.

The details: - EBLI is a speech-to-print, Linguistic Phonics methodology designed to give educators a streamlined approach to literacy instruction. - Chahbazi’s background includes work as a Neonatal Intensive Care nurse. - She has delivered professional development through in-person and virtual coaching. - Multiple studies involving more than 2,500 students from 2005 to 2026 documented EBLI’s effectiveness. - EBLI received an ESSA Tier 3 designation for Promising Evidence. - Her work has been featured in The Truth About Reading, Emily Hanford’s At a Loss for Words radio documentary and Sold a Story podcast. - She has presented at literacy conferences including Plain Talk and The Reading League. - Chahbazi is scheduled to deliver a keynote at the World Literacy Summit in Oxford, England, in 2027. - Learn more through her Influential Women profile or EBLI.

Between the lines: - Chahbazi frames her career around a “North Star” of improving literacy outcomes for every student. - Her message to educators is to keep expectations high, follow evidence and change course when students are not making progress. - She urges young women in literacy to do their own due diligence and keep learning, even when established practices do not make sense. - Her emphasis on solutions over labels reflects a broader debate in literacy education about what works and why some interventions fail. - Her rise also shows how one educator’s response to a family reading challenge can scale into a broader professional mission.

What’s next: - Chahbazi plans to continue mentoring educators through coaching programs, online communities and professional training. - EBLI will likely keep building on its evidence base as more students and teachers use the program. - Her 2027 keynote at the World Literacy Summit will put her work in front of an international audience.

The bottom line: - Chahbazi is positioning EBLI as a practical, evidence-based alternative in a literacy field still searching for better results.