J. Richard Gentry

For more detailed information about Richard Gentry, visit his website, www.JRichardGentry.com. J. Richard Gentry, PhD is an internationally acclaimed author, researcher, and educational consultant known for his ground-breaking work in education on topics such as early literacy; best-practices for reading, writing, and spelling; and dyslexia. In addition to authoring 16 books, 2 textbook series, and numerous journal and magazine articles, he blogs for the prestigious Psychology Today magazine offering commentary on a range of topics including education and policy, reading and the brain, baby/toddler reading, and educational standards. Recent books and textbooks include: Brain Words: How the Science of Reading Informs Teaching by J. Richard Gentry (Author), Dr. Gene Ouellette (Author) Publisher ‏ : ‎ Stenhouse Publishers (February 7, 2019) Kid Writing in the 21st Century with Eileen Feldgus and Isabell Cardonick (Hameray Publishing Group, 2017), Strategies for Writing Workshop (Shell Education, 2016), Raising Confident Readers: How to Teach Your Child to Read and Write—From Baby to Age 7 (Da Capo Press, 2010), Spelling Connections (Zaner-Bloser, 2016), a popular evidence-based spelling series for grades K-8. Dr. Gentry earned his Elementary Education degree from the University of North Carolina-Chapel Hill, and a Ph.D. in Reading Education from the University of Virginia in 1977. For sixteen years he taught Reading Education at Western Carolina University where he directed the Reading Center. He is well known for his research and writing in literacy education and is currently an independent researcher, author, and educational consultant. A frequent keynoter and featured speaker at conferences for teachers both nationally and internationally, Gentry continues to write and speak widely on literacy development and spelling. His depth of knowledge and breakthrough thinking about the importance of teaching spelling for reading and writing development has resulted in a number of books including Spel... Is a Four-Letter Word, The Literacy Map: Guiding Children to Where They Need to Be, and My Kid Can't Spell as well as numerous articles in academic journals and textbooks for school-age children. J. Richard Gentry's ground breaking book, Breaking the Code: The New Science of Beginning Reading and Writing (Heinemann) was released in February of 2006. Writing with the same clarity and teacher-friendly approach as in his best-selling The Science of Spelling (Heinemann, 2004), Richard Gentry shows you how scientific thinking and student-centered teaching can work together to create powerful literacy instructional practices. His staff development sessions open a window for teachers and parents into the minds of young readers, so that they can open a window for them into a world of literate possibilities.  His books Breakthrough in Beginning Reading and Writing, released by Scholastic in late in 2007 and Step-by-Step Assessment Guide to Code Breaking released in 2009 are popular for teachers of beginning reading and writing and along with his other books have established Richard as one of the foremost national experts on teaching beginning reading and writing. Richard is the author of Zaner-Bloser's new Spelling Connections is one of the nation's top selling spelling programs for grades K-8. In, Raising Confident Readers, How to teach your child to Read and Write, from Baby to Age 7, released by Da Capo Press in July, 2010, Dr. Gentry has created a template for parents who are looking for guidance with their child's literacy path. We all know the importance of reading aloud to our children, but beyond that, how do kids really learn to read? Why should you jump-start the process before formal instruction in school begins? How do drawing and early writing fit into the literacy picture, and what can you do to encourage them? How can you recognize and intervene if your child's literacy skills are not developing normally? In this empowering guide, Dr. J. Richard Gentry describes how to teach reading before your child enters kindergarten and how to monitor progress once your child is in school. He offers parents an easy-to-understand program outlining the five phases of kids' literacy development, with age- and stage-appropriate activities that make reading and writing fun. Raising Confident Readers is essential reading for every parent who wants their child to succeed in school and be a lifelong learner. A life dedicated to literacy education, Richard Gentry also has enjoyed life to the fullest. Time with family and friends, traveling to far away exotic places, cooking, historic preservation, gardening, working out, and just relaxing while reading a good book are just some of the personal attributes that round out and center his life.  He currently resides in the 300 year plus historic city of Mobile, Alabama.