Mary Renck Jalongo, Ph.D. nbsp; Mary Renck Jalongo is a teacher, writer and editor.nbsp; As a classroom teacher, she taught preschool, first grade and second grade, worked with children and families of migrant farm workers, and taught in the laboratory preschool at the University of Toledo.nbsp; Currently she is a professor at Indiana University of Pennsylvania where she earned the university-wide outstanding professor award and coordinates both the Doctoral Program in Curriculum and Instruction and an initial teacher certification program at the graduate level.nbsp; nbsp; As a writer, Dr. Jalongo has co-authored and edited more than 25 books, many of them textbooks in the field of early… childhood education.nbsp; These books includeEarly Childhood Language Arts(4 th ed. Allyn & Bacon) andCreative Thinking and Arts-Based Learning(4 th ed.nbsp; Merrill/Prentice Hall),Exploring Your Role:nbsp; An Introduction to Early Childhood Education(3 rd ed., Merrill/Prentice Hall) andMajor Trends and Issues in Early Childhood Education:nbsp; Challenges, Controversies, and Insights(2 nd ed. Teachers College Press). She is also the author for various articles on early childhood education in theWorld Book Encyclopediaand has written two award-winning Association for Childhood Education International Position Papers. nbsp; Her most recent publications include two National Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC) books,Learning to Listen, Listening to LearnandYoung Children and Picture Booksas well as a Teachers College Press book,Planning for Learning:nbsp; Collaborative Approaches to Lesson Design and Reviewand an edited book for ACEI,The Worldrsquo;s Children and Their Companion Animals:nbsp; Developmental and Educational Significance of the Child/Pet Bond.nbsp; Mary has earned seven national awards for excellence in scholarly writing.nbsp; nbsp; Mary is editor-in-chief of the Springer international publication,Early Childhood Education Journaland co-edits their new book series,Educating the Young Child:nbsp; Advances in Theory and Research, Implications for Practice.