Ruth Sylvester

Ruth Sylvester, PhD

Biography

Dr. Betty Sylvester is the middle childhood coordinator and teaches literacy courses in that major. She taught fifth grade for many years prior to several years as an assistant principal for curriculum and instruction. Prior to coming to Cedarville, Dr. Sylvester taught at Southeastern University and at the University of South Florida.

Education and Credentials

• Ph.D. in Literacy, University of South Florida
• M.A., University of South Florida
• B.S., Tennessee Temple University

Scholarly Works

• An Examination of the Interaction Between Exemplary Teachers and Struggling Writers (Betty Ruth Sylvester) Education Faculty Publications (2006)
• Lessons Learned: What Our History and Research Tell Us About Teachers’ Professional Learning (S. Kragler, L. Martin and Betty Ruth Sylvester) Education Faculty Publications (2014)  
• What Does That Mean?: Conferencing with a Struggling Writer (Betty Ruth Sylvester) Education Faculty Publications (2014)
• Vocabulary Instruction for the Young, Diverse Learners (Betty Ruth Sylvester, S. Kragler and J. Liontas) Childhood Education (2014)  
• "Banana Starts with the Yellow Letter": Curricular Implications for Preschoolers Missing a Concept (Betty Ruth Sylvester and S. Kragler) Childhood Education (2013)

Interests

• Favorite places to visit: I enjoy traveling to many exciting places, but my favorites are the gulf coast beaches in Florida and our family cottage in New Harbor, Maine.
• Hobbies: Traveling, walking, hiking, reading, cooking, gardening, beachcombing (in Florida and Maine), and meeting new people
• Why Cedarville: I am excited about teaching in a small liberal arts college where Jesus is central and where the focus is to “inspire greatness” among the students, staff, and faculty.