Patricia Scharer, Ph.D.

Professor

Contact Info:

E-mail: scharer.1@osu.edu
Office: 200C Ramseyer
Phone: (614) 292-2480
Fax: (614) 292-7695

Mailing Address:

29 W. Woodruff Ave.
Columbus, OH 43210-1177

Biographical Information:

Patricia L. Scharer is a Professor of Education at Ohio State University and a trainer with OSU's Literacy Collaborative. Her research interests include early literacy development, phonics and word study, and the role of children's literature to foster both literary development and literacy achievement. Her research has been published in Reading Research Quarterly, Research in the Teaching of English, Language Arts, The Reading Teacher, Reading Research and Instruction and the yearbooks of the National Reading Conference and the College Reading Association. She has served as co-editor of the Journal of Children's Literature and the Children's Books column of the Reading Teacher and is currently co-editor of Bookbird: A Journal of International Children's Literature. Professor Scharer is also co-editor of Extending Our Reach: Teaching for Comprehension in Reading, Grades K-2 and co-author of Rethinking Phonics: Making the Best Teaching Decisions.

Research Biography

Patricia L Scharer is a Professor of Education at The Ohio State University. Her research interests include early literacy development, phonics and word study, and the role of children's literature to foster both literary development and literacy achievement. Her research has been published in Reading Research Quarterly, Research in the Teaching of English, Educational Leadership, Language Arts, The Reading Teacher, Reading Research and Instruction and the yearbooks of the National Reading Conference and the College Reading Association.

She has served as co-editor of the Journal of Children's Literature, Bookbird: A Journal of International Children's Literature, and the Children's Books column of The Reading Teacher. Professor Scharer is also co-editor of Extending Our Reach: Teaching for Comprehension in Reading, Grades K-2 and co-author of Rethinking Phonics: Making the Best Teaching Decisions. Currently, she chairs the national Literacy Collaborative Trademark Committee and is conducting federally-funded research in partnership with University of Chicago, Lesley University, and Stanford University

Activities and Honors

Chair, Literacy Collaborative Trademark Committee
Chair, Children's Literature Assembly Endowment Fund
2000 - Ohioana Library Association James P. Barry Award for Editorial Excellence
1999 - Senior Faculty Researcher Award, School of Teaching and Learning
1995 - Outstanding Faculty Scholar of the Year Award, Lima Campus
1993 - Received an Elva Knight Research Award sponsored by the International Reading Association
1991 - Recipient of The Outstanding Dissertation of 1991 Award presented by the College Reading Association
1991 - Finalist (one of eight) for NCTE Promising Researcher Award Competition sponsored by the National Council of Teacher of English

Selected Grants History

Scharer, P.L., Padak, N., & Peck, J. (2004). The Ohio Literacy Alliance: A Cross-University Partnership. Funded by the Martha Holden Jennings Foundation, $600,000.
Bryk, A., Gomez, L., Scharer, P.L., Pinnell, G.S., & Rodgers, E. (2004). Can Literacy Professional Development be Improved with Web-Based Collaborative Learning Tools: A Randomized Field Trial. Funded federal Teacher Quality Grant 2004-2008. $3,914,000 (OSU-$451,567).
Scharer, P.L., Gibson, S., & Pinnell, G.S. (2000). The effects of KEEP Books distribution on kindergarten children's reading behaviors in school and home contexts. Funded by The Ohio State University/Urban Schools Initiative, August, 2000, $54,147.
Scharer, P.L., & Pinnell, G.S. (1999). The effects of KEEP Books on parent-child book sharing and reading achievement during the kindergarten year: A school-home literacy project. Funded by The Ohio State University/Urban Schools Initiative, September, 1999, $49,622.
Dahl, K., & Scharer, P.L. Student achievement and classroom case studies of phonics in whole language classrooms. Proposal funded by the U.S. Department of Education, Office of Educational Research and Improvement, Field Initiated Studies, September 1, 1996, $136,000.

Selected Publications

Pinnell, G.S., & Scharer, P.L. (Eds.) (2003). Teaching for comprehension in reading, grades K-2. New York: Scholastic.
Dahl, K., Scharer, P.L., Lawson, L., & Grogan, P. (2001). Rethinking phonics: Making the best teaching decisions. Portsmouth, NH: Heinemann.
Scharer, P.L., Pinnell, G.S., & Bryk, A. (in press). Supporting Learning Through a Multi-Layered Professional Community: Making Change Work. Journal of Reading Recovery.
Scharer, P.L., Pinnell, G.S., Lyons, C., & Fountas, I. (2005). Becoming an Engaged Reader. Educational Leadership, 63(2), 24-29.
Gibson, S.A., & Scharer, P.L. (2001). "She can read them by herself!": Parents and teachers respond to a kindergarten school-home literacy project. In J.V. Hoffman, D.L. Schallert, C.M. Fairbanks, J. Worthy, & B. Maloch (Eds) 50th Yearbook of the National Reading Conference (pp. 238-247). Chicago, IL: National Reading Conference.
Scharer, P.L., Lehman, B., & Peters, D. (2001). Pondering the significance of big and little or saving the whales: Discussions of narrative and expository text in fourth- and fifth-grade classrooms. Reading Research and Instruction, 40(4), 297-314.
Dahl, K., Scharer, P., Lawson, L., & Grogan, P. (1999). Phonics teaching and student achievement in whole language first grades. Reading Research Quarterly,34(3), 312-341.
Gill, H.C., & Scharer, P.L. (1996). Why do they get it on Friday and misspell in on Monday? Teachers inquiring about their students as spellers. Language Arts, 73, 89-96.
Scharer, P.L., & Peters, D.S. (1996). An exploration of literature discussions conducted by two teachers moving toward literature-based reading instruction. Reading Research and Instruction, 36(1), 33-50.
Scharer, P.L. (1996). "Are We Supposed to be Asking Questions?" Moving From Teacher-Directed to Student-Directed Book Discussions. In D.J. Leu, C.K. Kinzer, & K.A. Hinchman (Eds.) Literacies for the 21st Century: Research and Practice (pp. 420-429). Chicago, IL: National Reading Conference.
Scharer, P.L., Peters, D., & Lehman, B.A. (1995). Lessons from grammar school: How can literature use in elementary classrooms inform middle school instruction. Journal of Adolescent & Adult Literacy, 39(1), 28-43.
Allen, V.G., Freeman, E.B., Lehman, B.A., & Scharer, P.L. (1995). Amos and Boris: A window on teachers' thinking about the use of literature in their classrooms. The Reading Teacher, 48(5), 384-390.
Scharer, P.L. (1992). Teachers in transition: An exploration of changes in teachers and classrooms during implementation of literature-based reading instruction. Research in the Teaching of English, 26, 408-445.

Courses

909 History of Reading
911 Research in Emergent Literacy
861 Literature for Young Children

School of Teaching and Learning