Literacy for the 21st Century: Teaching Reading and Writing in Grades 4 Through 8

Gail E. Tompkins is a Professor at California State University, Fresno, in the Department of Literacy and Early Education, where she teaches courses in reading, language arts, and writing for preservice teachers and students in the reading/language arts master's degree program. She directs the San Joaquin Valley Writing Project and works regularly with teachers, both by teaching model lessons in classrooms and by leading staff development programs. Recently Dr. Tompkins was inducted into the California Reading Association's Reading Hall of Fame in recognition of her publications and other accomplishments in the field of reading. She has also been awarded the prestigious Provost's Award for Excellence in Teaching at California State University, Fresno.

Previously, Dr. Tompkins taught at Miami University in Ohio and at the University of Oklahoma in Norman where she received the prestigious Regents' Award for Superior Teaching. She was also an elementary teacher in Virginia for eight years.

Dr. Tompkins is the author of five other texts published by Merrill/Prentice Hall: Literacy for the 21st Century, 3rd edition (2003), Langauge Arts: Content and Teaching Strategies, 5th edition (2002), Teaching Writing: Balancing Process and Product, 4th edition (2004), 50 Literacy Strategies, 2nd edition (2004), and Literacy for the 21st Century: Teaching Reading and Writing in Pre-kindergarten through Grade 4, (2004). Dr. Tompkins is also a contributing author to two Merrill texts: Sharing the Pen: Interactive Writing with Young Children (2004) and Teaching Vocabulary: 50 Creative Strategies, Grades K-12 (2004). She has written numerous articles related to reading and language arts that have appeared in The Reading Teacher, Language Arts, and other professional journals.