Shayne B. Piasta is a professor of Literacies, Literature, and Learning in the Department of Teaching and Learning. She also is a faculty associate with the college’s Crane Center for Early Childhood Research and Policy. Her research focuses on early literacy development and how it is best supported during preschool and elementary years. Her work emphasizes the use of rigorous empirical methods to identify and validate educational programs and practices, such as experimental evaluation of specific curricula and professional development opportunities. She also identifies teacher, classroom and other factors associated with children’s literacy gains.
Piasta is known for her research that set early literacy learning standards. One of her 2012 referred journal articles shows that children who know 18 uppercase and 15 lowercase letter names by the end of preschool are more likely to have first-grade literacy success. Headstart soon adopted her alphabet knowledge benchmarks. Other local, state and national organizations did as well.