The Literacy Mama -- Who I am and Why I'm Writing

My name is Laura Tortorelli, and I have always loved reading. I still feel a shock of thrill and recognition when I come across one of my childhood favorites: I am a Bunny by Richard Scarry; Frog and Toad by Arnold Lobel; anything Nancy Drew. I still remember the first, magical moment that I got "lost" in a book; it was the summer before second grade, and I brought my first Nancy Drew to the pool. While I waited for my sunscreen to sink in, I opened it up. The next thing I knew, my mom was telling me it was time to go home! Hours had passed and I had never stepped in the pool. 

As a adult, I still love to read, but I have also dedicated my life to figuring out how to give other children that first moment when it all "clicks"; how to hook on them on reading early and turn them into lifelong readers. In my 20s, I worked as a reading teacher and curriculum developer for reading curricula and then I returned to graduate school to get a Ph.D. in Reading Education from the the University of Virginia. I'm now an Assistant Professor of Elementary Grades Reading at Michigan State University.  To put it simply, I teach teachers how to teach kids to read and write, and I conduct research on how children develop into proficient readers.

However, I am also a mama! I have a son, Will, who turns two and a half this week. So, for the first time in my career, I get to watch this process unfold from infancy. It is a joy and privilege to watch him grow as a future reader, to talk to his teachers and other parents, and to try new things out in the comfort of my own home. 

And what I've found is that this period of time is confusing for parents -- even me! My parent friends experience a lot of anxiety about early literacy and how to help their children develop their reading skills before and during the early elementary years. How do I know which books to read to my child? Should I teach my child the alphabet? She knows the alphabet -- what should we do next? Do we need to teach sight words? Does my preschool focus enough on literacy? Or too much? How early can a child learn to read?

I'm starting this blog so I can collect and answer these questions all in one place, based on my professional research and personal experiences as a teacher and a mama. I will post about what the research says about early literacy, answer parent FAQ, and share activities and routines that our family have developed at home and let you know what works -- and what doesn't for us. 

I'm looking forward to sharing this journey with all of you!