While teachers cannot travel back in time to visit their students at earlier ages, they can draw on the rich sets of experiences and knowledge that students bring to classrooms. In her latest book, Catherine Compton-Lilly examines the literacy practices and school trajectories of eight middle school students and their families. Through a unique longitudinal lens—the author has studied these same students from first grade—we see how students from a low-income, inner-city community grow and develop academically, revealing critical insights for teachers about literacy development, identity construction, and school achievement.


Based on interviews, reading assessments, and writing samples, Reading Time advocates for educators to:




Provide opportunities for students to develop long-term relationships with teachers and administrators.
Allow children and parents to share their stories to identify obstacles that students encounter as they move through school.
Collaborate and learn from students’ former teachers, as well as inform their future teachers.
Develop portfolio systems and longitudinal records that highlight children’s emerging interests, abilities, and potential for the future.

Series edited by: Celia Genishi, Donna E. Alvermann