About MBRI
The late Margaret Byrd Rawson (1899 – 2001) was a world-renowned educational pioneer and
leader in dyslexia education.
The Margaret Byrd Rawson Institute (MBRI) is a dynamic online nonprofit teaching
organization dedicated to advancing global literacy and best teaching practices based on the
Orton-Gillingham approach, irrespective of a student’s socioeconomic status or unique learning
style. MBRI provides ongoing student, parent, and teacher education, offering scholarships and
innovative community-based outreach programs.
Literacy, the cornerstone of effective communication and understanding, is a fundamental right
for all children. The Margaret Byrd Rawson Institute (MBRI) distinguishes itself with a unique
mission to forge new paths in teaching and learning, ensuring that every child, regardless of their
learning challenges, has access to reading.
In 2001, the Margaret Byrd Rawson Institute (MBRI) was born from a shared vision. Margaret
Rawson and a dedicated group of parents and educators from Frederick County, Maryland,
united to establish this nonprofit organization. Today, MBRI continues to extend its reach to
students, parents, and teachers worldwide, providing dyslexia education and support to those
who struggle to read, even those not formally identified with dyslexia. We strive to advance
literacy access for all, guided by sound scientific, evidence-based Orton-Gillingham best
practices.
Reading failure frequently reflects a ‘teaching disability’ rather than an individual’ learning
disability.’ Our aim at MBRI is to help revolutionize education so that all children can
successfully access literacy.
Over the past few years, MBRI has created a Transforming Education TeleSummit interviewing
22 educational experts and a Keys to Unlocking Educational Success Webinar series interviewing
Fellows of the Academy of Orton-Gillingham Practitioners and Educators. Currently, we are
developing a sequential set of explicit YouTube lessons for teaching the alphabet online so
parents and teachers can assist their children/students by following each lesson. This unique
project will provide children in need with a ‘virtual’ quality of instruction, typically unavailable
or out of reach for those economically disadvantaged.
We are also collecting Personal Literacy Stories, Teaching Tips, and Memories of Margaret Byrd
Rawson. We hope you will contribute to our collection and spread the word!
Description of the MBRI Logo Ribbon
The Margaret Byrd Rawson Institute uses the symbol of the six-crossing knot to represent our
collective mission of ensuring that all children, regardless of learning style or socioeconomic
status, have access to the fundamentals of language acquisition. The Rawson Institute’s knot was
created from a picture of a Roman bas-relief dated from the third century A.D., which hung in
Margaret’s home. Incredibly, scientists have observed identical knot formations in images of
DNA structure. Our DNA identifies us as human and carries the specific genetic markers that
make us uniquely individual and shape our learning styles. A heart is visible when the knot is
inverted, symbolizing our dedication and love for students, parents, and teachers.
“The differences are personal. The diagnosis is clinical. The treatment is educational. The
understanding is scientific.”