Lester Laminack

Lester L. Laminack, a full-time writer and consultant working with schools throughout the United States, is Professor Emeritus with department of Birth-Kindergarten, Elementary and Middle Grades Education, at Western Carolina University in Cullowhee, North Carolina where he received two prestigious awards for excellence in teaching (the Botner Superior Teaching Award and the Chancellor's Distinguished Teaching Award).

Lester is an active member of the National Council of Teachers of English and served three years as co-editor of the NCTE journal Primary Voices. He also served as a teaching editor for the magazine Teaching K-8 and wrote the Parent Connection column (2000-2002). He is currently editor of the Children's Book Review Department of the NCTE journal Language Arts (2003-2006). He is a former member of the Whole Language Umbrella Governing Board, a former member of the Governing Board and Secretary of the North Carolina Association for the Education of Young Children, and a former member of the Board of Directors for the Center for the Expansion of Language and Thinking. He served as the Basic Reading Consultant to Literacy Volunteers of America from 1987 through 2001.

His publications include several academic books such as Learning with Zachary (Scholastic), Spelling in Use (NCTE), Volunteers Working with Young Readers (NCTE), his contributions to The Writing Workshop: Working Through the Hard Parts(NCTE) and two new books with Heinemann, Learning Under the Influence of Language and Literature, Building Bridges Across the Curriculum with Picture Books and Read Alouds. He is also the author of Cracking Open the Author's Craft published by Scholastic. In addition, he has several articles published in journals such as The Reading Teacher, Science and Children, Language Arts, Primary Voices, and Young Children.

Lester is also the author of five children's books: The Sunsets of Miss Olivia Wiggins, Trevor's Wiggly-Wobbly Tooth, Saturdays and Teacakes and Jake's 100th Day of School (December 2005) and Snow Day (2007) all of which are published by Peachtree Publishers, Ltd.



Ma'am Maw Thompson's Tea Cakes


2 sticks of Blue Bonnet Margarine
2 cups of Dixie Crystal Sugar
3 eggs {any brand-chickens are independent creatures anyway-but we use large eggs}
3-1/​2 cups of Martha White self-rising flour
3 teaspoons of vanilla flavoring

Cream margarine and sugar {you can do this with a potato masher}

Add well-beaten eggs, vanilla and flour {you can do this with that same potato masher, then you stir it up with a long wooden spoon}.

Next my Ma'am Maw would roll it out with a rolling pin and cut the dough with a tea cup.

Well I have not been able to make that work. So you know what? I put two cereal bowls on the counter next to the big mixing bowl. I put sugar in one of those little bowls. I put flour in the other little bowl.

Then I take that long wooden spoon and scoop up some tea cake dough {about the size of a golf ball} and drop it in that little bowl of flour. I roll it around in there and lift it out. I roll that around in the palms of my hands to make it round.

Then I roll it in the sugar {Mmmmm, more sugar!} and put it on a baking sheet {I use non-stick baking sheets}.

This makes about 40 teacakes. So you are supposed to share them with special people.

Then comes the hard part.

You have to wait----YIKES!

Put them in the oven at 375 degrees for 15 minutes {oh yeah, don't forget to preheat the oven}.

Now here's the tricky part. When you take them out of the oven you are supposed to wait until they cool before you lift them off the baking sheet and eat them.

They are hot and they will burn your mouth {trust me I know this is true because I didn't listen to my Ma'am maw}.

I hope you make some Teacakes with someone you love very much. That is when they taste the very best.

Linda Gambrell

Linda B. Gambrell, a professor of education in the Eugene T. Moore School of Education at Clemson University, is president of the International Reading Association and will serve until May 2008. Gambrell served as a member of the Board of Directors of the International Reading Association from 1992-1995 and, in 1998, she received the IRA Outstanding Teacher Educator in Reading Award. In 2004, she was elected to the Reading Hall of Fame. 

Linda Gambrell received her BS, MEd, and PhD from the University of Maryland, College Park. She began her career as an elementary classroom teacher and reading specialist in Prince George's County, Maryland. She became a member of IRA as an undergraduate student member at the University of Maryland and served as president of the State of Maryland International Reading Association Council in 1986-1987. Since 1999, she has been active in the South Carolina International Reading Association.

Her current research interests are in the areas of reading comprehension strategy instruction, literacy motivation, and the role of discussion in teaching and learning. She has written books on eading instruction and published articles in journals such as Reading Research Quarterly, The eading Teacher, Educational Psychologist, and Journal of Educational Research. She is  editor of Literacy Teaching and Learning and serves on the editorial advisory boards of Linda B. Gambrell, a professor of education in the Eugene T.
Moore School of Education at Clemson University, is president
of the International Reading Association and will serve until
May 2008. Gambrell served as a member of the Board of
Directors of the International Reading Association from 1992-
1995 and, in 1998, she received the IRA Outstanding Teacher
Educator in Reading Award. In 2004, she was elected to the
Reading Hall of Fame.
Linda Gambrell received her BS, MEd, and PhD from the
University of Maryland, College Park. She began her career as
an elementary classroom teacher and reading specialist in Prince
George's County, Maryland. She became a member of IRA as an undergraduate student member
at the University of Maryland and served as president of the State of Maryland International
Reading Association Council in 1986-1987. Since 1999, she has been active in the South
Carolina International Reading Association.
Her current research interests are in the areas of reading comprehension strategy instruction,
literacy motivation, and the role of discussion in teaching and learning. She has written books on
reading instruction and published articles in journals such as Reading Research Quarterly, The
Reading Teacher, Educational Psychologist, and Journal of Educational Research. She is
coeditor of Literacy Teaching and Learning and serves on the editorial advisory boards of
Reading Research Quarterly, Journal of Literacy Research, and Reading Research and
Instruction.
Statement of philosophy
"The complexities of modern society make the attainment of high levels of literacy an urgent
priority for our schools. The International Reading Association does important work in
promoting literacy worldwide, supporting teacher empowerment, and providing quality
publications and conferences."
Presentation topics
Creating classroom cultures that support motivation to read
Comprehension strategy instruction: Teaching to independence
Teaching higher level comprehension through discussion
The power of reading literature aloud to students
2
Contact
Clemson University
Tillman Hall
Clemson, SC 29634
864-226-8863 (phone), 864-226-5339 (fax)
lgambrell@reading.org
Reading Research Quarterly, Journal of Literacy Research, and Reading Research and Instruction.
Statement of philosophy
"The complexities of modern society make the attainment of high levels of literacy an urgent
priority for our schools. The International Reading Association does important work in
promoting literacy worldwide, supporting teacher empowerment, and providing quality
publications and conferences."
Presentation topics
Creating classroom cultures that support motivation to read
Comprehension strategy instruction: Teaching to independence
Teaching higher level comprehension through discussion
The power of reading literature aloud to students

Stuart Murphy

Linda B. Gambrell, a professor of education in the Eugene T. Moore School of Education at Clemson University, is president of the International Reading Association and will serve until May 2008. Gambrell served as a member of the Board of
Directors of the International Reading Association from 1992-
1995 and, in 1998, she received the IRA Outstanding Teacher
Educator in Reading Award. In 2004, she was elected to the
Reading Hall of Fame.
Linda Gambrell received her BS, MEd, and PhD from the
University of Maryland, College Park. She began her career as
an elementary classroom teacher and reading specialist in Prince
George's County, Maryland. She became a member of IRA as an undergraduate student member
at the University of Maryland and served as president of the State of Maryland International
Reading Association Council in 1986-1987. Since 1999, she has been active in the South
Carolina International Reading Association.
Her current research interests are in the areas of reading comprehension strategy instruction,
literacy motivation, and the role of discussion in teaching and learning. She has written books on
reading instruction and published articles in journals such as Reading Research Quarterly, The
Reading Teacher, Educational Psychologist, and Journal of Educational Research. She is
coeditor of Literacy Teaching and Learning and serves on the editorial advisory boards of
Reading Research Quarterly, Journal of Literacy Research, and Reading Research and
Instruction.
Statement of philosophy
"The complexities of modern society make the attainment of high levels of literacy an urgent
priority for our schools. The International Reading Association does important work in
promoting literacy worldwide, supporting teacher empowerment, and providing quality
publications and conferences."
Presentation topics
Creating classroom cultures that support motivation to read
Comprehension strategy instruction: Teaching to independence
Teaching higher level comprehension through discussion
The power of reading literature aloud to students
2
Contact
Clemson University
Tillman Hall
Clemson, SC 29634
864-226-8863 (phone), 864-226-5339 (fax)
lgambrell@reading.org

Rick Bragg

Ann Marie Corgill