Laura Piestrzynsk

   Assistant Professor of Early and Elementary Literacy

   Bachelor's Degree: Early Childhood Education, University of Illinois, 2001
   Master's Degree: Curriculum and Instruction (Language and Literacy), University of Illinois, 2004
   PhD: Teaching and Learning (Language, Literacy, and Culture), 2020

   Phone: (225) 578-6324
   Office: 113C Peabody Hall
   Email Laura Piestrzynski

 

 

 

 

Biography

Laura Piestrzynski, PhD is an Assistant Professor of Early and Elementary Literacy at Louisiana State University.  She earned her bachelor’s degree and master’s degree from the University of Illinois.  Dr. Piestrzynski earned her doctoral degree in Teaching and Learning at Vanderbilt University.  Prior to entering academia, she worked as an early childhood educator in the Saint Louis Public School District and the Chicago Public School District for twelve years. 

Dr. Piestrzynski’s research focuses on early literacy, specifically teachers’ supportive practices for emergent writing, differentiated support for emergent writers, and how teachers make decisions for providing support to young writers.

Selected Publications

Kucirkova, N., Rowe, D. W., Oliver, L., Piestrzynski, L., (2019) Systematic review of young children’s writing on screen: What do we know and what do we need to know. Literacy, 53(4), 216-225. 

Kucirkova, N., Rowe, D. W., Oliver, L., Piestrzynski, L., (2017) Children’s writing with and on screen(s): A narrative literature review. COST ACTION ISI1410 DigiLitEY. ISBN: 978-0-902831-47-6. 

Selected Presentations

Rowe, D. W., Piestrzynski, L., Davis, Z. (2018, November). Embodied and verbal supports used by adults to engage preschoolers in writing. Paper presented at the annual meeting of the Literacy Research Association, Indian Wells, CA. 

Davis, Z., & Piestrzynski, L. (2018, July).  Writing in pre-k and kindergarten: An introduction.  Presented at the Early Childhood Summit hosted by Tennessee Department of Education, Nashville, TN. 

Piestrzynski, L., & Rowe, D. W. (2017, December).  Read it to me: How adults support speech-print matching.  Paper presented at the annual meeting of Literacy Research Association, Tampa, FL. 

Goetz, K., Heasley, A., Piestrzynski, L., & Wiedrich, J. (2017, December). Empowering students and promoting understanding: Using bibliotherapy and children's literature about refugees in the classroom. Paper presented at annual NCTE conference St. Louis, MO. 

Rowe, D. W. & Piestrzynski, L. (2016, November). Preschoolers’ speech-print matching during writing. Paper presented at the annual meeting of the Literacy Research Association, Nashville, TN. 

Piestrzynski, L., & Rowe, D. W. (2015, December).  The development of speech/print matching in 2- to 5-year-olds’ writing.  Paper presented at the annual meeting of Literacy Research Association, Carlsbad, CA.