Kathy Ganske

Professor of the Practice of Literacy; Director of Elementary Education

Ph.D., University of Virginia,1994

Joined faculty in 2010

Short Biography

Kathy Ganske has been involved in teaching and teacher preparation for over three decades. She is Professor of the Practice of Literacy in the Department of Teaching and Learning at Peabody College, Vanderbilt University, where she also directs the Undergraduate and Master's Plus Licensure Elementary Education Programs. She received her Ph.D. from the University of Virginia. Prior to coming to Vanderbilt she was a professor of literacy at Oberlin College in Ohio and Rowan University in New Jersey.

Her research interests include teacher preparation, and practices that engage students in word learning and comprehension (especially as the latter relate to children's orthographic knowledge and student discourse). As part of her interest in how best to prepare teachers, she is currently involved in a nationwide study with ten other institutions to explore the links among teacher preparation, teacher effectiveness, and student achievement in the area of literacy instruction.

She is the author or coauthor of several books, including Word Journeys: Assessment-Guided Phonics, Spelling and Vocabulary Instruction, Word Sorts and More: Sound, Pattern, and Meaning Explorations K-3; Mindful of Words: Spelling and Vocabulary Explorations 4-8; and Supporting Struggling Readers and Writers: Strategies for Classroom Intervention 3-6, with Dorothy Strickland and Joanne Monroe. In addition, she is co-editor with Douglas Fisher of Comprehension Across the Curriculum: Perspectives and Practices K-12 as well as author of numerous articles and book chapters. Ganske's work is grounded in a rich background of elementary classroom teaching experience that encompasses primary through upper elementary grades and various regions of the country and in extensive professional development work with practicing teachers.

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Selected Publications
CV

Areas of Expertise

Reading and Literacy

Teacher Preparation

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