Kathy Ganske

Kathy Ganske, PhD, is a literacy scholar whose work focuses on word study, phonics, spelling, and vocabulary instruction for elementary and middle-grade students. She is Research Professor, retired, in the Department of Teaching and Learning at Vanderbilt University, and her research is grounded in extensive teaching experience in elementary classrooms, particularly around small-group word study and vocabulary development.

Ganske is the author, coauthor, or editor of several influential professional texts, including Word Sorts and More: Sound, Pattern, and Meaning Explorations K–3, Word Journeys: Assessment-Guided Phonics, Spelling, and Vocabulary Instruction, Mindful of Words: Spelling and Vocabulary Explorations, Grades 4–8, and Comprehension Across the Curriculum: Perspectives and Practices in K–12 Classrooms. Her work also includes coauthoring Supporting Struggling Readers and Writers: Strategies for Classroom Intervention 3–6 and numerous articles and book chapters on literacy instruction and reform in challenging schools.