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.
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.
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.
