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Teacher, author, literacy consultant, and children’s literature enthusiast, Maria Walther taught first grade for 34 years. She partners with teachers across the country to bring joy to their literacy instruction. The ideas she shares reflect her commitment to teaching, researching, writing, and collaborating with her colleagues. Maria is a prolific professional writer. She strives to create practical resources for busy teachers. Her best-selling book, The Ramped-Up Read Aloud, promotes joyful read aloud experiences. Her latest book, The Literacy Workshop: Where Reading and Writing Converge, was written with Karen Biggs-Tucker. Maria is also the co-author of Scholastic’s Next Step Guided Reading Assessment with Jan Richardson. To learn more about her teaching resources, visit her website mariawalther.com or follow her on Twitter @mariapwalther.