Steven L. Layne serves Professor and Chair of the Department of Education at Wheaton College in Wheaton, IL, where he teaches courses in children’s literature as well as in reading methods. Dr. Layne’s research and writing focus on the affective domain as it relates to literacy education as well as on public speaking. He is a fifteen-year veteran of public education—serving as a classroom teacher in grades two, three, five, six, seven, and eight.
Steven is a respected literacy consultant, motivational keynote speaker, and featured author who works with large numbers of educators and children during school visits and at conferences held throughout the world each year. His work has been recognized with awards for outstanding contributions to the fields of educational research, teaching, and writing from organizations such as USA Today newspaper, The Milken Family Foundation, The National Council of Teachers of English, and the International Literacy Association.
Dr. Layne has authored more than 40 articles, poems, essays, and books including multiple award-winning titles in both the picture book and young adult genres including his beloved classic—The Teachers’ Night before Christmas, the teen thriller This Side of Paradise and the heartwarming picture book Love the Baby. Dr. Layne’s professional books for educators include Igniting a Passion for Reading: Successful Strategies for Building Lifetime Readers and In Defense of Read-Aloud. His newest release is the picture book Play with Puppy, the fourth title in his “Growing with Family.” Dr. Layne has been married to his wife Debbie, an elementary school principal for more than 30 years; the Laynes have four children and collie named Duchess who is only naughty sometimes.
Categories: Educator, Educator - Literacy and Reading
