A CASE STUDY OF PRINCIPALS ’ KNOWLEDGE OF EARLY CHILDHOOD LITERACY

DEDICATION This dissertation is dedicated to my family whose love and encouragement means everything to me. I especially want to thank Jim, my husband and best friend, who has always believed in me. To my mom and dad, thank you for teaching me the importance of education and working hard. To my children Michelle, Elizabeth, Joseph, Jimmy, and Sarah, I give my deepest expression of love and appreciation for the encouragement that you gave me during my graduate programs. I encourage you to find your passions and follow your dreams as I have followed mine iv ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS It is with appreciation that I acknowledge the many people who have supported me during my dissertation journey. I wish to express my respect and gratitude to Dr. Diane Harwell who is my advisor and co-chair of my committee. She spent many hour