Renée M. Casbergue, PhD, is the Vira Franklin and James R. Eagle Professor of Education at Louisiana State University, where she currently serves as director of the early childhood teacher preparation program and is a member of the literacy faculty. A former classroom teacher and reading specialist, she has served as president of the Literacy Development in Young Children Special Interest Group of the International Reading Association (IRA; now International Literacy Association). Dr. Casbergue received a grant from the U.S. Department of Education's Early Reading First (ERF) program to create centers of excellence for early literacy in preschool classrooms in New Orleans public schools after serving as a consultant and external evaluator for ERF projects in four other states. She has published widely on effective learning and teaching in preschool and the primary grades.

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Dorothy S. Strickland, PhD, is the Samuel DeWitt Proctor Professor of Education (Emerita) at Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey, and Distinguished Research Fellow of the National Institute for Early Education Research. A former classroom teacher, reading consultant, and learning disabilities specialist, she is a past president of both the IRA and the Reading Hall of Fame. Dr. Strickland is a recipient of the Outstanding Teacher Educator of Reading Award from IRA, the Outstanding Educator in the Language Arts Award from the National Council of Teachers of English, and the Ferguson Award for Outstanding Contributions to Early Childhood Education from National Louis University. She has published numerous articles, book chapters, and books on early childhood education.