Lester L. Laminack

Lester L. Laminack is a recently retired professor from the department of Birth-Kindergarten, Elementary and Middle Grades Education, at Western Carolina University in Cullowhee, North Carolina where he taught graduate and undergraduate courses in literacy education. He is the recipient of two awards for excellence in teaching at WCU, 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 academic publications include several books (including Learning with Zachary, Spelling in Use, Volunteers Working with Young Readers, and his contributions to The Writing Workshop: Working Through the Hard Parts) and a new book, Learning Under the Influence of Language and Literature scheduled for publication in February 2006 from Heinemann. 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 three children's books: The Sunsets of Miss Olivia Wiggins, Trevor's Wiggly-Wobbly Tooth, and Saturdays and Tea Cakes in addition to one forthcoming title (fall 2005) Jake's 100th Day of School all of which are published by Peachtree Publishers, Ltd. Lester will be retiring from the university in June 2005 to pursue writing, his research interests, and consulting on a full time basis.