Advisory Council

Early Childhood Language and Reading Expert

A leading expert in reading, Dr. Libby graduated from The University of Pittsburgh with a Doctorate in Reading, Language Arts and Children's Literature. She has her Masters in Reading, a Reading Specialist Certificate and a Bachelors degree in Elementary and Early Childhood Education from The Ohio State University. While working in higher education for 17 years, Dr. Libby taught elementary education courses at The University of Pittsburgh and both undergraduate and graduate courses in topics such as early childhood and elementary reading, language arts and children's literature at Slippery Rock University. Dr. Libby has worked as an elementary teacher, and as a freelance writer creating teaching guides to accompany reading and science material for elementary classrooms. Currently living outside of Pittsburgh with her husband and three daughters, she works with students in literature groups focusing on comprehension skills and conducts workshops for teachers.

Articles
Spring is here – Help your child’s literacy skills blossom and grow!

Spring is the perfect time to help your child’s literacy skills blossom and grow! Support your child’s literacy development with these simple tips. Set aside time each and every day to read to and with your child. This simple act has a big impact supporting your child’s reading comprehension and overall literacy development. Reading a good book can happen anywhere. Keep books, e-Books and reading and writing learning games all around the house and even in your car. Opportunities for reading present themselves all the time! Read road signs, menus, recipes and of course enjoy some good books. Allowing children to hear, read and follow along with stories over and over again develops and reinforces many important reading concepts such as letter and word awareness and recognition, beginning and ending sound knowledge, reading for meaning and enjoyment, reading from left to right, and much more.

Read All...
An Educational Holiday Countdown

In the midst of the holiday rush, finding the perfect present in the children’s toys aisle can be overwhelming and particularly challenging. Just remember that it is always important to include a few toys with enduring educational properties in your shopping cart. Let these tips guide your holiday toy selections!

Read All...
Early Reading Building Blocks

How can I best support my child’s literacy development? This is a question many parents contemplate. Studies show that children need to be immersed in a print rich environment and involved in a variety of meaningful and enjoyable literacy experiences. Reading researchers and early childhood experts agree that these experiences are essential in supporting children’s early reading development. Adult support also plays an important role. Ensuring that children enjoy some type of daily literacy experience is something everyone can do. Here are a few early reading building blocks parents can put into action at home.

Read All...
Terrific Toys For All Tots!

From an early age, play is an important component of a child’s development and learning. Great philosophers and scholars such as Plato, Aristotle and Locke placed significant value on play. Today’s educational experts continue to support the importance of developmentally appropriate play and developmentally appropriate toys for boys and girls. Choosing toys that appeal to our children and also support learning are important.

Read All...
Meet our Expert Advisory Panel
Dr. Deborah Sharp Libby

Early Childhood Language and Reading Expert

Dr. Lise Eliot

Early Childhood Mental Development Expert

Dr. Helen Boehm

Psychologist, Author, and Parenting Resource Expert

Dr. Carla C. Johnson

Science and STEM Expert

Dr. Francis (Skip) Fennell

Mathematics Expert

Stacey Heneveld

VTech Mom