James Zarrillo, PhD Faculty Profile

James Zarrillo, PhD

Emeritus Professor

Department of Teacher Education

E-mail: james.zarrillo@csueastbay.edu
Phone: (510) 885-7439
Office: RO 239
Office Hours: Contact via email
Vitae: View my CV

Dr. James Zarrillo is an Emeritus Professor in the Department of Teacher Education. In September of 2013, he entered the Faculty Early Retirement Program (FERP). Dr. Zarrillo temorarily left FERP status to serve as the Interim Dean of the College of Education and Allied Studies (CEAS) for the 2015-2016 academic year. He returned to FERP status in September of 2016 .Currently, he works on Commission on Teacher Creentialing (CTC) accreditation. Dr. Zarrillo's area of scholarly interest is the elementary school curriculum; specifically, children's literature, reading instruction, and social studies. Dr. Zarrillo is the author five books, several chapters in edited books and many journal articles. Dr. Zarrillo has been a member of the faculty at CSU East Bay since 1995. He was Associate Dean of CEAS from 2008 to 2013. He was Chair of the Department of Teacher Education from 1995-1999, again in 2004-2007, and once more from January to June of 2009. He served as the Assistant Dean for Technology and Accountability in CEAS in 2001-2002. Prior to coming to CSU East Bay, Dr. Zarrillo was a member of the faculty at CSU Long Beach from 1988 - 1995. He taught elementary school in Burbank, California, from 1976- 1986.

Professional Focus

Dr. James Zarrillo completed a series of three studies focusing on the use of children's literature in the elementary school classroom. The first, his doctoral dissertation, examined a group of innovative teachers who had abandoned basal readers in favor of children's literature (published in The Reading Teacher; vol. 80, pp. 153 - 158). The second, completed with Carole Cox at CSU Long Beach, analyzed literature-based instruction through Louise Rosenblatt's theoretical framework (published as a chapter in the book, Reader Stance and Literary Understanding). The third was action research project completed in a third grade classroom (published in The New Advocate, vol. 4, pp. 221 - 234). Earlier, Dr. Zarrillo examined the books of Beverly Cleary for their instructional implications (published in Children's Literature Association Quarterly, vol. 13, pp. 131 - 135). Recently, Dr. Zarrillo's focus has shifted, devoting his time to writing methodology books on curriculum and instruction.

Education

Courses

Publications

Books

Zarrillo, J. (2017). Ready for RICA: A test preparation guide for California's reading instruction assessment (4th ed.). Boston: Pearson

Zarrillo, J. (2012). Teaching elementary social studies: Principles and applications (4^th ed.). Boston: Pearson.

Zarrillo, J. (2011). Ready for the revised RICA: A test preparation guide for California’s reading instruction assessment (3rd ed.). Boston: Pearson

Zarrillo, J. (2007). Are you prepared to teach reading? Columbus OH: Pearson/Merrill/Prentice Hall.

Zarrillo, J. (1994). Multicultural literature, multicultural teaching: Units for the elementary grades. Ft. Worth: Harcourt Brace.

Cox, C. & Zarrillo, J. (1993) Teaching reading with children's literature. New York: Merrill/Macmillan.

Chapters in Books

Zarrillo, J. & Cox, C. (1992). Efferent and aesthetic teaching. In J. E. Many and C. Cox (Eds.), Reader stance and literary understanding: Exploring the theories, research, and practice (pp. 235 249). Norwood NJ: Ablex.

Zarrillo, J. (1991). Empowered teachers and children: What students read in a Whole Language classroom. In J. Hydrick (Ed.), Whole Language: Empowerment at the Chalk Face (pp. 135-143). New York: Scholastic.

Zarrillo, J. (l988). Literature-based reading: From research to practice. In M. P. Douglass (Ed.), Claremont Reading Conference Fifty-Second Yearbook (pp. 69-81). Claremont CA: Claremont Reading Conference.

Zarrillo, J. (l986). The historical classics of children's literature and basal readers. In M. P. Douglass (Ed.), Claremont Reading Conference Fiftieth Yearbook (pp.181-191). Claremont CA: Claremont Reading Conference.

Journal Articles

Zarrillo, J. (1991). Theory becomes practice: Aesthetic teaching with literature. The New Advocate, 4, 221 – 234.

Zarrillo, J. (1989). History and library books. Social Studies and the Young Learner, 2(2), 17 – 19.

Zarrillo, J. (1989). Teachers’ interpretations of literature-based reading. The Reading Teacher, 43, 22 – 28.

James, M. & Zarrrillo, J. (1989). Teaching history with children’s literature: A concept-based, interdisciplinary approach. The Social Studies, 80, 153 – 158.

Zarrillo, J. (1988). Beverly Cleary, Ramona Quimby, and the teaching of reading. Children’s Literature Association Quarterly, 13, 131 – 135.

Presentations

Oral History in a Culturally and Linguistically Diverse Classroom. Presented at the 1997 Annual Conference of the National Council for the Social Studies. Cincinnati, November 21, 1997.

Literacy and the Limited-English Proficient Student: An Overview and Review of the Literature. Presented at the 1995 Annual Convention of the International Reading Association. Anaheim, May 1, 1995.

Reading for Informative Purposes in the Multilingual and Multicultural Classroom. Presented at the 1993 Annual Convention of the International Reading Association. San Antonio, April 27, 1993.

Teaching with Literature in the Elementary School: Applying Rosenblatt’s Transactional Theory. Presented at the 1991 Annual Convention of the International Reading Association. Las Vegas, May 9, 1991.

Aesthetic Teaching with Literature in the Elementary School. Presented at the Annual Meeting of the American Educational Research Association. Chicago, April 3, 1991.

Teaching with Literature in the Elementary School: A Qualitative Study. Presented at the 1990 Annual Meeting of the American Educational Research Association. Boston, April 20, 1990.

Literature-based Reading: Three Program Models. Presented at the 1989 Annual Convention of the National Council of Teachers of English. Baltimore, November 20, 1989.

Literature-Based Reading for Language Minority Students. Presented at the 1988 Annual Convention of the National Council of Teachers of English. St. Louis, November 20, 1988.

Making the Connection: Reading and Elementary Social Studies. Presented at the 1988 Annual Convention of the International Reading Association. Toronto, May 6, 1988.

Grants and Awards

2008 Faculty Learning Community: Scholarship of Teaching CSU East Bay Office of Faculty Development $2000

1998 Hayward Arts-in-Education Project California Postsecondary Education Commission Eisenhower Professional Development Program Proposal co-author CSU Hayward –grantee and fiscal agent Collaborative project with Hayward USD, Oakland Museum of Children’s Art, East Bay California Arts Project $50,000

1997 Teaching Internship Program of Alameda County (TIPAC) California Commission on Teacher Credentialling (CCTC) Alternative Certification Grant Project co-director, author of grant proposal Alameda County Office of Education (ACOE) – grantee and fiscal agent Collaborative project with ACOE, Emery USD, Fremont USD, Hayward USD, Newark USD, Pleasanton USD, San Lorenzo USD $90,000 ($12,200 to CSU Hayward)

1996 Seamless Transition Project California Academic Partnership Program (CAPP) Office of the Chancellor, California State University Project co-director, author of grant proposal CSU Hayward – grantee and fiscal agent Collaborative project with Tennyson High School (Hayward, CA), Hayward USD, Chabot Community College, Students in Business, Rohm & Haas (local business) $300,000

1996 Bay Area Reading Partnership State of California Preservice Reading Partnership Grant Project ACOE grantee and fiscal agent CSU Hayward project director, author of grant proposal Collaborative project with ACOE, Marin COE, 12 Bay Area school districts, USF, San Francisco State Unviersity $200,000 ($15,120 to CSU Hayward)

1996 Project ACCESS State of California Bilingual Teacher Recruitment Program ACOE grantee and fiscal agent I worked with ACOE personnel in the development of the grant, and administered the CSU Hayward component from 1996 – 1998. Collaborative project with ACOE and Ohlone Community College $85,000 ($35,000 to CSU Hayward)

James Zarrillo, PhD Faculty Profile