The Authors
Peter Dewitz
Peter is an educational consultant and researcher, who works with teachers and children in public schools. Peter has taught at the University of Toledo and the University of Virginia, and has worked as a visiting researcher at the Harvard Graduate School of Education. He taught in the upper elementary grades and his major research interests are educational materials—specifically the efficacy of reading programs—and the development and instruction of reading comprehension and the uses and abuses of assessments in our schools.
Michael F Graves
Mike Graves is a professor emeritus of literacy education at the University of Minnesota and a member of the Reading Hall of Fame. Mike taught in the upper grades before completing his PhD at Stanford University. His research and writing focus on vocabulary learning and instruction, learning from text, instruction for English Learners, and motivation. His current major research effort is an IES-funded research and development project on teaching word-learning strategies.
Connie Juel
Connie Juel is a professor emerita of education at Stanford University, the recipient of a National Reading Conference award for outstanding contributions to reading research, and a member of the Reading Hall of Fame. Her research and writing focus on emergent literacy, phonics, word recognition, and interventions to help struggling readers. Before moving to Stanford, Connie taught at the University of Texas, the University of Virginia, and Harvard University.
Bonnie Graves
Bonnie Graves, a former third and fourth teacher, is an award-winning author of children’s literature. Her books include the middle-grade historical fiction novel Catch Me When I Fall, several fictional chapter books including Taking Care of Trouble, and a number of non-fiction chapter books including The Whooping Crane. Bonnie’s major interest is in making literature enticing and accessible to beginning and elementary-grade readers. She also enjoys working with children and teachers on children’s writing.