Contributors
Reading A-Z books and lessons are written and illustrated by a wide range of individuals with K-6 experience and are reviewed by an expert team of teachers and reading specialists.
Advisers
Gwen Bartnik
- Literacy Consultant K-12, Vancouver School District
- Grade 1 primary teacher: Vancouver, BC.
- Literacy Mentor: Vancouver School District
Amy Freeman
- Special Needs Literacy Grant Coordinator: Putnam County Educational Service Center/Ohio Coalition for the Education of Children with Disabilities, Pandora, Ohio
Adria F. Klein; Ph.D
- Doctorate, Reading and English as a Second Language: University of New Mexico
- Professor Emeritus, Reading Education: California State University
- Reading Recovery trainer: Saint Mary's College
- Coordinator, trainer, researcher: Foundation for Comprehensive Literacy Learning
- Author: professional and children’s books
- Former President: California Reading Association
- Board of Directors: International Reading Association (1997-2000)
Patti Lopez, Ph.D.
- Educational Doctorate, Educational Leadership: Northern Arizona University
- Master’s in Education, Schooling and School Leadership: Harvard University
- Bachelor of Arts, Elementary Education: University of Arizona
- Stanford University Summer Program: Colegio Cervantes, Guadalajara, Jalisco, Mexico
- Federal Grants/Title 1 Director: Amphitheater Public Schools, Tucson, AZ
- Assistant Superintendent; Director of Organizational Development; Director, Title I; K-5 Reading Language Specialist; Classroom teacher supervisor, grades 1, 2 and 5: Tucson Unified School District, AZ
- Professor of Publicity and Policy: Northern Arizona University
- Member and officer: several professional and community boards
- Author: numerous professional educational articles
Nancy Lyon
- Bachelor of Science, Early Childhood and Elementary Education: Temple University, Philadelphia, PA
- Elementary school teacher: PA, NJ, AZ
- Title 1 Reading & Reading Recovery teacher, Amphitheater School District, Tucson, AZ
- Title 1 Reading Facilitator, 6 years: Keeling Elementary, Tucson, AZ
- Title 1 Teacher Facilitator: Amphitheater School District, Tucson, AZ
Beth Perry
- Teacher, ESL Primary Students (7 years); Grade 2 modified dual language (2 years): Sunnyslope Elementary, Phoenix, AZ
Connie Ramsey
- National Board Teaching Certification in Literacy
- Past President, WORD, President, Washington state chapter of the International Reading Association
- Master’s, Guidance and Counseling: University of Idaho
- Bachelor’s, Special Education: Ohio University
- Principal Certification: Gonzaga University
- National Board Certification: program participant
- Trainer: Classroom teachers (at-risk students), nationwide
- Past Chair, Language Arts Committee (K-6 reading adoption): Mead School District, Spokane, Wash.
- WORD Leadership in Reading Award
- Reading specialist: Mead School District, Spokane, Wash.
- Resource Room teacher: Mead School District, Spokane, Wash.
- Reading demonstration teacher: Mead School District, Spokane, Wash.
- Gifted and Talented teacher, Mead School District
Ruth Romer
- Adjunct Professor, Reading Methods and Tutoring: University of Nevada, Las Vegas
- Educational consultant/author
- Author/designer: MatchWord
- Reading specialist: Clark County School District, NV
- Elementary school teacher (13 years)
Writers
Authors of original Reading A-Z books range from the yet-to-be-discovered to some of today’s popular children’s writers. The selection of books also includes stories by famous authors excerpted or adapted from literature in the public domain.
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Illustrators
All art for Reading A-Z books and materials is generated by professional illustrators who have years of experience illustrating educational materials.
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Consultants
Educational consultants from the United States, Canada, Great Britain, Australia, and New Zealand provide guidance for Reading A-Z materials and product development.
Kathleen Austin
- Bachelor's in Elementary Education: Pittsburg State University
- Master's in Special Education (emphasis on Learning Disabilities and Behavior Disorders)
- Developmental Pre-School instructor (3 years)
- Grades 7 and 8 Reading teacher, Language Arts and Speech/Drama Teacher (4 years)
- Grades K-6 Special Education Teacher and remedial student tutor: Carthage R-9 School District, Carthage, MO
Mary Banfield
- Teacher, K-5: Lake Worth, FL
Kim Yvette Brown
- Bachelor of Arts in English
- Master’s in Elementary Education
- Pursuing National Board for Professional Teaching Certification in Early Middle Childhood Literacy
- Grade 1 teacher: Columbia, SC
Patricia Cavin
- Teacher, English as a second language (24 years): Fortaleza, Brazil
- Instructor: Binational Center IBEU-CE
Jenny Coles
- Coordinator: Parent-Child Play and Learning Group, Palmerston North, New Zealand
Cathi Cooper
- Bachelor’s in Health and Physical Education
- Elementary Certification: Indiana University
- Teacher: Freeport, PA School District (14 years)
- Read to Succeed teacher
Wieslawa Ferlacka
- M.A. in English Philology, completing Ph.D. studies at UAM Poznan
- Degree in Extramural Studies
- Translator
- Certificate of Proficiency in English: Cambridge University
- Ministry of Foreign Trade Certificate in English
- Tutor, ESL
Jennifer Flanders
- Bachelor of Arts: Lock Haven University
- Kindergarten and grade 1 teacher: Avon-Grove Nazarene Christian Academy
- Grade 3 teacher: Sugar Valley Rural Charter School, Loganton, PA
- Phase II teacher: grade levels 3-4
Patricia Jones
- Grade 2 teacher: Rockledge, FL
Carolyn Borkowski
- Bachelor’s and Master’s in Education in Reading: SUNY Oswego
- Reading for Excellence program participant
- Title I Reading Teacher and RIF program coordinator: Troy, NY
- ELA Curriculum Field Leader
- RIF Coordinator
- LLI Trained Reading Teacher
- SES Tutor
Tracy Liesemeyer
- Bachelor’s in Secondary Education
- Master’s in Education, Curriculum, and Instruction
- Certification in biology and English, grades 7-12 and ESL grades K-12
- ESL teacher (9 years, 5 as team leader)
- Head of Information Technology: Overseas School of Colombo, Sri Lanka (2 years)
- Teacher: Goodrich Middle School, Lincoln, NE
Mary Massen
- Program Specialist: Shaw Butte Elementary School, Phoenix, AZ
- National Board Certified Teacher
Melvin Rountree
- Master of Science in Education, School Administration, pursuing Ph.D.
- Graduate work in Special Education
- Teacher, middle/elementary special education (7 years)
- Developer, model classroom management plans and Internet forms for Special Education program developer: SCT-BOCES, Elmira, NY
- Tutor, Grade 4: New York State English Language Arts test
Sally Ann Ruggiero
- National Board Certified Teacher, Early Childhood Generalist (ages 3-8)
- Reading Specialist (Grades K-5), retired Medford Township Public Schools, New Jersey (28 years)
- Elementary teacher, grades 1, 6, and 8
- Reader for Educational Testing Service and National Board for Professional Teaching Standards
- Literacy consultant
Linda Severa
- Associate’s in Science in Education
- Bachelor’s in Early Childhood Education
- Teacher, K-1 (15 years): Tyrone, GA
Jami Shields
- Masters in Education, emphasis in English as a Second Language, Kansas Newman University
- Bachelor's in Elementary and Early Childhood Education, Southwestern Oklahoma State University
- ESL teacher, Washington Elementary, Liberal, Kansas (2 years)
- ESL teacher, Salyer Elementary, Guymon, Oklahoma (5 years)
- Current ESL teacher, McLaughlin Elementary, Carrollton-Farmers Branch ISD, Carrollton, Texas
Tracey A. Sieklicki
- National Board Certified Teacher, Reading Recovery and special education, grades 2-4: Slidell, LA
Cindy Vogel
- Bachelor of Arts: University of Wisconsin-Whitewater
- Teacher, grades 2 and 3 (28 years): Van Brunt Elementary-Middle School, Horicon, WI
In addition, products are revised on the basis of solicited and unsolicited feedback from thousands of subscribers.
Translators
Maria Castillo
- Bachelor’s in Child Development: Rio Hondo Community College, Whittier, CA
- Bilingual Instructional Aide: Azusa Unified School District, Los Angeles County, CA
Carlos Ardissoni Díaz
- Elementary school teacher, grade 4: Chile
Normand Gauthier
- Bell Canada subsidiary, Internet Planner Manager, Network Directions and Investments Group
- Master’s, IS/IT (Maîtrise en technologies de l'Information)
- Computer Lab Coordinator
Marie-France Leclerc
- French Immersion Program
- Teacher (14 years): Ontario, Canada
- Program chair (2 years)
- Lead Teacher
- Bachelor's degree, translation
- Owner and head translator, Say It Again Translation
Lidia Strong
- Bachelor of Arts: California State Polytechnic University, Pomona
- Multiple-Subject California Teaching Credential
- Teacher, English and Spanish, grades 1, 2, 3, and 5
Valérie Suarès
- University professor teaching pre-service and pre-credentialed teachers on how to integrate technology in their classrooms and their teaching practice
- Senior linguistic editor for High Tech Companies working in French and English.
- 20 years of teaching early childhood, elementary, middle school and high school in International schools, world-wide
- Certificate in Translation and Interpretation, The National Hispanic University, San Jose, California
- California Teaching Credential, San Jose, California
- Certificates in Marketing Communications, Electronic Commerce, San Jose State University, San Jose, California
- Masters Degree in Education, Instructional Technology
- Credential Elementary and High School teacher, University of Paris, France
- Certified Maria Montessori Early Childhood Educator
- Bachelors Degree in Cross Cultural Education with emphasis on Early Childhood Education and Instructional Technology, Froebel Institute, London University, London, United Kingdom
Val Young
- Teaching Certificate: United Kingdom
- Bachelor of Arts, European Humanities
- Primary Teacher: England, Scotland, and Australia
