Reach Higher 5A with the Spark platform

Nancy Frey, Ph.D., a Professor at San Diego State University received the 2008 Early Career Achievement Award from the National Reading Conference. Dr. Frey has published in The Reading Teacher, English Journal, Remedial and Special Education, and Educational Leadership. She has co-authored more than fifty books on English Learners (Language Learners in the English Classroom), assessment (Checking for Understanding), writing (Scaffolded Writing Instruction), literacy (Reading for Information in Elementary School) and vocabulary (Learning Words Inside and Out). Dr. Frey teaches a variety of courses on reading instruction and literacy in content areas, classroom management, and supporting students with diverse learning needs. She also was a third grade classroom teacher. Dr. Frey's monographs include: Reaching for the Common Core, Using Technology to Foster Learning for a New Century, Link to 21st Century Skills and Resources, and Connect Oral and Written Expression, Vocabulary, Reading Comprehension, and Content. During her 18 years of teaching in K-2 classrooms, as well as teaching Descubriendo la lectura and Reading Recovery, Lada Kratky has fostered a love of reading in hundreds of English-speaking and Spanish-speaking children. She is the author of numerous children's books and classroom resources and has authored both English and Spanish early literacy programs. She has been a featured speaker at national, regional, and local educational conferences, as well as institutes and training workshops across the country, presenting strategies and techniques for effective early literacy instruction. Ms. Kratky's monographs include: Reach into Beginning Reading, Make Every Minute Count!, Early Literacy Instruction for English Language Learners, and Patterned Text. Dr. Nonie K. Lesaux is the Larsen Professor of Education and Human Development at Harvard Graduate School of Education. Her research focuses on promoting the language and literacy skills of today's students from diverse linguistic, cultural and economic backgrounds, and is conducted largely in urban and semi-urban cities and school districts. She has been working with National Geographic Learning for more than ten years. Associate Professor and Fellow, University of Texas, Austin As the associate director of the National Research and Development Center on English Language. Dr. Linan-Thompson has developed and examined reading interventions for struggling readers who are monolingual English speakers, English language learners and bilingual students acquiring Spanish literacy. She was a Kindergarten teacher in a bilingual classroom and has worked in Latin America, Africa, Asia, and Eastern Europe on projects related to literacy instruction and professional development and has authored articles, chapters and books on these topics. Dr. Linan-Thompson's monographs include: Fluency is More than Reading Quickly!, Build Strategic Thinking and Science-Based Literacy. Dr. Deborah J. Short provides professional development on content-based English, sheltered instruction, and academic literacy worldwide through Academic Language Research & Training, LLC. She is a researcher, SIOP Model co-developer, TESOL International past president, and a National Geographic Learning author for 20+ years. Associate Professor, University of Maryland Turner teaches reading education, and multicultural literature and instruction for reading specialists. She has published on exemplary literacy teachers and teaching for African American elementary students. Recently, Dr. Turner received the Elva Knight Research Grant from the International Reading Association for her work with new reading teachers in urban elementary schools. Turner has been elected to the Board of Directors for the National Reading Conference and serves as a co-editor of the literacy leaders department. Her newest book is Looking Back to Move Forward in Educating African American Students. Dr. Turner's monographs include: Know What They Know, Get to Know Your Learners, and Studying Different Genres.