Best Practices in Literacy Instruction

Lesley Mandel Morrow, PhD, is Distinguished Professor of Literacy and Director of the Center for Literacy Development at the Graduate School of Education at Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey. Her research deals with early literacy development and the organization and management of language arts programs and literacy-rich environments. Dr. Morrow has published more than 300 journal articles, chapters, and books. Her work has been recognized with awards including the Outstanding Teacher Educator in Reading Award and the William S. Gray Citation of Merit, both from the International Literacy Association (ILA), and the Oscar S. Causey Award for outstanding contributions to reading research from the Literacy Research Association. Dr. Morrow is past president of the ILA and is a member and past president of the Reading Hall of Fame.

Ernest Morrell, PhD, until his death in 2026, was Coyle Professor of Literacy Education at the University of Notre Dame, where he was also Director of the Center for Literacy Education and a faculty member in Africana Studies. He served for five years as Associate Dean of Humanities and Faculty Development in the College of Arts and Letters. A renowned scholar and educator, Dr. Morrell was an elected member of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences and the National Academy of Education, and an elected Fellow of the American Educational Research Association. His scholarly interests included literacy studies, critical media pedagogy, English education, postcolonial literatures, the African Diaspora, and youth popular culture. He was the recipient of honors including the 2025 James R. Squire Award from the National Council of Teachers of English and the 2026 President's Award from the University of Notre Dame, awarded posthumously. Dr. Morrell authored more than 100 articles and book chapters and authored or edited 17 scholarly books.

Heather Kenyon Casey, PhD, is Professor of Literacy Education at Rider University, where she teaches undergraduate and graduate courses in literacy, coordinates the graduate-level literacy concentration, and is Site Director of the National Writing Project. A former middle school language arts teacher and a certified reading specialist, Dr. Casey is past co-chair of the Adolescent Literacy Task Force and the Literacy Reform Task Force of the International Literacy Association (ILA). Her research focuses on the use of collaborative learning structures and new literacies to support adolescent literacy development and engagement. She has published numerous articles and book chapters in these areas and recently edited a series for the ILA, Literacy Practices That Adolescents Deserve. She has also led several grants in partnership with the National Writing Project focusing on building teacher leadership.