Janine Certo
Janine Certo is an assistant professor of language and literacy in the Department of Teacher Education and a PI at the Literacy Achievement Research Center (LARC) at Michigan State University.  Certo received her Bachelor’s degree from Grove City College, her Masters from the University of Virginia, and her Doctoral degree from Virginia Commonwealth University where she worked as a Research Associate for the Metropolitan Educational Research Consortium.  Prior to coming to academia, Janine taught in the public schools for ten years in rural Virginia in Louisa County and Buckingham County Public Schools, across several teaching and coordinator positions, including first, second, fifth, K-6 Science and Math, and K-12 Gifted Education.  Her research interests include poetry in schools, aesthetic education, childhood education, literature response and discussion, and teacher education and development.  Her work focuses on four related areas including: 1) teachers’ poetry experiences, knowledge and dispositions, 2) children’s poetry writing practices, 3) the history of poetry in schools and society, and 4) the academic and socio-emotional affordances of literature response and discussion.  A National Writing Project teacher consultant, she is also interested, more broadly, in genre instruction at the elementary level and teachers as writers.  Most recently, she is investigating preservice teachers’ knowledge, experiences and dispositions with regard to reading, writing and teaching poetry and preadolescents’ poetry writing practices and performances in classroom cultures.
Visit Janine’s Personal Webpage: https://www.msu.edu/~certo/
Recent Publications:
Certo, J.L., Apol, L., Wibbens, E., & Hawkins, L. (manuscript accepted for publication). Living the Poet’s Life:  Using an Aesthetic Approach to Enhance Preservice Teachers’ Poetry Experiences and Dispositions.  English Education.

Certo, J.L., & Brinda, W.  (2011). Bringing literature to life for urban adolescents:  Artistic, dramatic instruction and live theatre.  Journal of Aesthetic Education, 45(3),22-37.

Sportsman, E.L., Certo, J.L., Bolt, S.E., & Miller, J.A.  (2011). Literature circles: Social and leadership development among at-risk students.  School Psychology Forum:  Research in Practice, 5(1), 13-28.

Certo, J.L.  (2011).  Social skills and leadership roles among children in small-group literature discussions.  Journal of Research in Childhood Education, 25(1), 62-81.

Certo, J.L., Apol, L., Wibbens, E., & Yoon, S.  (2010).  Poetry writing PK-12:   Current research and implications for practice and future research.  In G. Troia, R. Shankland & A. Heintz (Eds.), Putting Writing Research into Practice:  Applications for Teacher Professional Development. New York: Guilford Press.

Apol, L., & Certo, J.L. (2010). “A burgeoning field” or “a sorry state:  U.S. Poetry for Children, 1800-present. In S. Wolf, K. Coats, P. Enciso, & C. Jenkins (Eds.), The Handbook of Research on Children’s and Young Adult Literature. Mahway, NJ:  Lawrence Erlbaum.

Certo, J.L., Moxley, K., Reffitt, K., & Miller, J. A. (2010).  I learned how to talk about a book:  Children’s perceptions of literature circles across grade and ability levels.  Literacy Research and Instruction, 49(3), 243-263.

Certo, J.L., Cauley, K., Moxley, K., & Chafin, C.  (2008).  An argument for authenticity: Adolescents’ perspectives of standards-based reform.  The High School Journal, 91(4), 26-39.

Kovalcik, B., & Certo, J.L. (2007).  The poetry café is open:  Teaching literary devices of sound in poetry writing.  The Reading Teacher, 61(1), 89-93.

Certo, J.L. (2006).  Beginning teacher concerns in an accountability-based testing environment:  Perspectives of elementary beginning teachers and their mentors.  Journal of Research in Childhood Education, 20(4), 331-349.

Kanyongo, G., Certo, J.L., & Brown, L.  (2006).  Using regression analysis to establish the relationship between home environment and reading achievement: A case of Zimbabwe. International Education Journal, 7(5).

Certo, J.L. (2005).  Support and challenge in mentoring:  A case study of beginning elementary teachers and their mentors.  Journal of Early Childhood Teacher Education, 26(4), 395-421.

Certo, J.L. (2005).  Support, challenge, and the two-way street:  Perceptions of a beginning second grade teacher and her quality mentor.  Journal of Early Childhood Teacher Education, 26(1), 3-21.

Certo, J.L. (2004).  Cold plums and the old men in the water:  Let children read and write great poetry.  The Reading Teacher,58(3), 266-271.