Jennifer Berne, PhD, is Associate Professor at National-Louis University, where she is also chair of the Department of Reading and Language Arts. She teaches courses in comprehension, the teaching of writing, and literacy methods. Dr. Berne’s publications include work on teacher professional development, the teaching of process writing, and comprehension strategy instruction. She spent 10 years in adult literacy, teaching underprepared college students the strategies needed for reading and writing in higher education. This classroom experience has anchored her interest in contemporary literacy practices and informs her work in pre- and inservice teacher learning. In addition to her work teaching, researching, and writing, Dr. Berne acts as a literacy consultant and professional developer in urban, rural, and suburban school districts working to refresh their literacy curriculum.

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Sophie C. Degener, EdD, is Assistant Professor in the Department of Reading and Language Arts at National-Louis University, where she teaches classes in beginning reading, reading research, and literacy methods to undergraduates, master’s students, and doctoral students. Her research interests include family literacy and primary literacy instruction, and her numerous conference presentations and publications reflect those interests. Prior to her work as a professor, Dr. Degener taught in the primary grades. It is her work with struggling readers and their families that has motivated her interest in helping educators at every grade level to understand the unique needs of each and every student and to design differentiated instruction that best meets those needs.