Steven Layne

Steven L. Layne is a professor of literacy education and children’s author known for his work on fostering lifelong readers. He earned a B.A. in psychology and education from Judson University, followed by an M.S.Ed. and an Ed.D. in reading/literacy education from Northern Illinois University, with a specialization in children’s and young adult literature. Layne has taught children’s and young adult literature and directed graduate programs in literacy at Judson University, and later served as Professor of Education and Chair of the Department of Education at Wheaton College in Illinois.

An international literacy consultant and motivational speaker, Layne is widely recognized for his contributions to reading instruction and advocacy of read-aloud practices. He is the author of In Defense of Read-Aloud: Sustaining Best Practice, a professional text that presents historical and contemporary research supporting read-aloud as best practice in K–12 classrooms. In addition, he has written more than twenty books for children and young adults, including picture books such as Love the Baby, Share with Brother, and Stay with Sister, and teen novels such as This Side of Paradise, Paradise Lost, and Mergers.