About Gabrielle Mace
Gabrielle Mace is an independent literacy consultant and founder of ProReading Solutions.
Her work focuses on helping schools move beyond isolated reading initiatives to build coherent, sustainable literacy ecosystems.
A recognised voice in literacy innovation, Gabrielle works with schools and library systems to reimagine reading engagement at a whole-school level.
Her work focuses on the conditions that shape literacy across a school - including leadership, curriculum, curation, and student experience - and how these can be aligned to create a coherent and sustainable reading culture.
For many years, I worked inside school libraries — first as a Teacher Librarian, and later as Head of Library and Information Services.
During that time, I saw both the potential of these spaces, and the limitations of how literacy was often approached.
Reading was valued. Programs were implemented. The effort across schools was significant.
But impact was often inconsistent.
A Shift in Thinking
Through my work leading the AIS School-Based Action Research Project and the development of the Just Read initiative, I saw what was possible when a school aligned around a shared approach to reading.
But I also saw the limits of even well-designed programs.
What became clear is this:
Literacy does not thrive because of programs alone - it depends on how the underlying conditions within a school are aligned.
This insight led to the development of the Literacy Ecosystem Framework.
From Practice to Framework
The Literacy Ecosystem Framework is grounded in years of practice, leadership, and research.
It provides a way to understand how literacy functions across a school - and why some approaches lead to sustained impact while others do not.
This work sits at the intersection of four key areas:
- strategic literacy leadership
- inquiry-based learning
- student engagement and identity
- evidence-informed practice
Inquiry as the Engine
Central to my work is the role of inquiry in driving deep engagement with reading.
Through high-engagement, carefully designed inquiry pedagogy, students move beyond passive reading into active investigation - analysing, questioning, and constructing meaning.
This work draws on established research and theory, including:
- Self-Determination Theory
- Reader Response Theory
- alignment with leading inquiry frameworks
It is not about engagement alone.
It is about developing the cognitive habits that underpin deep reading, reasoning, and understanding.
My Work Today
Today, I work with schools, leaders, and systems to strengthen their literacy ecosystems.
This may begin with a keynote or professional learning, or extend into deeper diagnostic and design work.
The focus is always the same:
to build literacy cultures that are coherent, sustainable, and capable of lasting impact
Experience & Recognition
- John Hirst Award (SLANSW), recognising professional leadership and excellence
- Head of Libraries and Information Services across leading independent schools
- International speaker across Australia, Europe, New Zealand, the USA, and Hong Kong
- Author and contributor on literacy, inquiry, and reading culture