2/13/2016
NORMA D. ZUNKER, PH.D.
CONTACT INFORMATION
Texas A&M University—Corpus Christi
Department of Teacher Education
6300 Ocean Drive
ECDC 206
Corpus Christi, TX 78412
(361) 825-3472
norma.zunker@tamucc.edu
EDUCATION
2004-2009
Texas A&M University—Corpus Christi
PhD
Curriculum and Instruction-Reading Emphasis
Reading Emphasis
Early Childhood Education Cognate
2001-2003
Texas A&M University—Corpus Christi
Master of Science-Reading
MS
1985-1987
Corpus Christi State University
Bachelor of Science
Elementary Education
Kindergarten Education
BS
1982-1985
Del Mar Community College
Corpus Christi, TX
DISSERTATION:
A Modified Delphi Study to Identify the Significant Works Pertaining to the
Understanding of Reading Comprehension and Content Analysis of the Identified Works.
UNIVERSITY TEACHING:
2010-present
Texas A&M University—Corpus Christi
Assistant Professor
2/13/2016
2004-2010
Texas A&M University—Corpus Christi
Visiting Assistant Professor in Early Childhood (2006-2010)
Graduate Teaching Assistant (2004-2006)
Courses Taught:
ECED 2310 Survey of Early Childhood Education
ECED 3311 Developmentally Appropriate Practice in Early Childhood
Education
ECED 3324 Child Development
ECED 4310 Socialization of the Young Child
ECED 4320 Young Child, Family, and Community Resources
ECED 4330 Health, Nutrition, and Locomotor Concepts for the Young
Child
ECED 4340 Communications and Aesthetics
ECED 5334 Developmentally Appropriate Early Childhood Curriculum
READ 3320 Reading Instruction for Grades EC-4
READ 4380 Children’s and Adolescent Literature
UNIVERSITY COMMITTEES:
2004-2009
2006-2008
2007-2008
Annual Reading Conference Planning Committee
Annual CEDER Conference Planning Committee
Faculty Renaissance Committee
PUBLIC SCHOOL TEACHING:
1987-2006
Calallen Independent School District (Corpus Christi, Texas)
Grades Taught: Kindergarten and 1st grade
TEXAS TEACHING CERTIFICATES:
Elementary Education—Mathematics
Kindergarten
English as Second Language
Gifted and Talented
Reading Specialist
Master Reading Teacher
PROFESSIONAL ORGANIZATIONS:
Association for Childhood Education International
2009-2010
Accepted as Leadership ACEI Fellow
Created a developmentally appropriate curriculum for the core subjects to
be implemented in a kindergarten in Jakarta, Indonesia.
2006-2009
Membership Committee
2009
Week of the Classroom Teacher Committee Chair
2008
Received $500 Mini-Grant for Juneteenth Health Fair
2/13/2016
Texas Association for Childhood Education International
2009
Planned and Managed the Texas Association for Childhood Education
International State Conference
2008-2010
State Vice-President for Membership
Islander Association for Childhood Education International
2006-2010
Faculty Advisor
2009-2010
University Student Association advisor representative on Special Events
Fund Committee
2009-2010
Awarded Chapter Excellence Award
2008-2009
Awarded Best Professional Development Chapter Award
2007-2010
Awarded Student Make and Take session at Annual Conference
Association of Literacy Educators and Researchers (formally College Reading Assoc.)
2009
Program Committee for the 2009 ALER Conference
2008-2010
Teacher Educator Committee
College Reading Association (CRA)
2008
Program Committee for the 2008 CRA Conference
2007
Program Committee for the 2007 CRA Conference
2006-2008
Teacher Educator Committee
National Association for the Education of Young Children
2006-2010
Bay Area Association for the Education of Young Children
2006-2010
Served on the Board as University Representative
Southern Early Childhood Association
2006-2010
Selected as a reviewer of Children’s Literature
International Reading Association
2001-2010
Member of SIG group Professors of Reading Teacher Educators (PRTE)
2009
Member of Program Committee for PRTE
2001-2005
Member of SIG group Organization of Teacher Educators in Reading
TRAININGS AND INSERVICES
November 2009
Preschool Art Inservice at Corpus Christi Day Home Association Mini
Conference for Home Day Care Providers.
November 2009
Outdoor Play for Infants and Toddlers Inservice for Early Head Start
teachers in Nueces County.
2/13/2016
March 2009
Going on a Safari workshop in coordination with the Annual Children’s
Book Festival at Texas A&M University—Corpus Christi and Del Mar
College.
November 2006
Lesson Planning Inservice for Head Start teachers in Nueces County.
February 2004
Using Big Books with Young Children workshop for Bay Area Association
of Young Children.
INVITED TEXTBOOK REVIEWS:
2009
Reviewer--50 Strategies for Successful Home-School-Community
Connections. A textbook for SAGE Publications.
2006
Reviewer--50 Strategies for Communicating and Working with Diverse
Families, 2nd Edition. A textbook for Pearson Publishing.
2007-2010
Member of Academic Advisory Board for McGraw Hill; reviewer--Taking
Sides: Clashing Views on Education Issues.
COMMUNITY ACTIVITES:
2009-2010
Member of the Head Start Community Advisory Board of Nueces County
2009-2010
Member of the Head Start Curriculum Evaluation Committee of Nueces
County
2006-2010
Planned and managed the Annual Children’s Book Festival in
coordination with Corpus Christi Public Libraries, Del Mar College, and
Texas A&M University—Corpus Christi.
2006-2010
Founded, planned, and managed Annual Health Fair at the Garcia Center.
2007-2008
Founded, planned, and managed Juneteenth Diabetes Awareness Health
Fair.
2007
Co-coordinator for the Annual Art Festival for the Week of the
Young Child.
NATIONAL PRESENTATIONS:
Zunker, N. D. & Sanders, J. (2010, April). Brighter futures for the young children of Indonesia: a
curriculum for Taman Kurnia kindergarten. Paper presented at the meeting of the
Association of Childhood Education International Annual Conference in Phoenix,
Arizona.
2/13/2016
Zunker, N. D. (2009, November). A Delphi research study—A consensus of works for
understanding reading comprehension according to reading comprehension experts.
Paper presented at the meeting of the Association of Literacy Educators and Researchers
Annual Conference in Charlotte, North Carolina.
Zunker, N. D. & Sanders, J. (2009, March). The Elizabeth Breathwaite mini-grant supporting
service learning. Paper presented at the meeting of the Association of Childhood
Education International Annual Conference in Chicago, Illinois.
Grote, S. A. & Zunker, N. D. (2008, May). Reading comprehension: Identifying seminal works
and discovering prevailing themes. Paper presented at the meeting of the International
Reading Association Annual Conference in Atlanta, Georgia.
Sanders, J. & Zunker, N. D. (2008, March). Implications for teaching: Connecting university
undergraduate and graduate students with the community. Paper presented at the meeting
of the Association of Childhood Education International Annual Conference in Atlanta,
Georgia.
Zunker, N. D. & Grote, S. A. (2007, November). Reading comprehension: A discussion of
historical trends—Borrowing from the past to build on the future. Round table presented
at the meeting of the National Reading Conference Annual Conference in Austin, Texas.
Zunker, N. D. & Grote, S. A. (2007, November). Reading comprehension: An overview of
works, trends, and research. Paper presented at the meeting of the College Reading
Association Annual Conference in Salt Lake City, Utah.
Zunker, N. D. & Schaum, A. M. (2007, May). Teacher’s perception of non-fiction vs. fiction
and the use of paired text. Paper presented at the meeting of the International Reading
Association Annual Conference in Toronto, Canada.
Sanders, J. & Zunker, N. (March, 2007). Using literature based themes to teach
undergraduate students. Presentation: Association for Childhood Education
International Spring Conference. Tampa, FL.
Sanders, J., Zunker, N. D., Nelson, A., & Ruiz, S. (2007, March). Transforming pre-service
teachers’ concept of literacy and art. Paper presented at the meeting of the Association of
Childhood Education International Annual Conference in Tampa, Florida.
Garrett, S. D., Schaum, A. M., Zunker, N. D., & Crowder, D. (2006, October). Nonfiction and
fiction texts through the eyes of students and teachers. Paper presented at the meeting of
the College Reading Association Annual Conference in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.
Pearce, D. L. & Zunker, N. D. (2006, May). Professor’s recommendations on reading
comprehension. Paper presented at the meeting of the International Reading Association
Annual Conference in Chicago, Illinois.
2/13/2016
Nelson, N., Crowder, D., Lara, M., Potter, J., Schaum, A. M., Ybarra, C. C., & Zunker, N. D.
(2006, March). Identity, community, and academic practices: Transition from student to
scholar. Paper presented at the meeting of the American Association of Hispanics in
Higher Education Annual Conference in San Antonio, Texas.
Grace, M. & Zunker, N. D. (2005, May). The development of two courses designed to prepare
pre-service teachers to teach holistically and with children’s literature. Paper presented at
the meeting of the International Reading Association Annual Conference in San Antonio,
Texas.
Zunker, N. D. (2003, October). Workstations where literacy blooms. Round table presented at
the meeting of the College Reading Association Annual Conference in Corpus Christi,
Texas.
REGIONAL PRESENTATIONS:
Zunker, N. D. (2010, April). Reading strategies reading comprehension experts identify as
significant. Round table presentation at the 14th Annual Reading Conference and 2nd
International Literacy Coaching Summit. (Accepted.)
Zunker, N. D. & Sanders, J. M. (2010, April). Do early childhood teachers in South Texas
perceive themselves implementing the 2009 N.A.E.Y.C. guidelines of developmentally
appropriate practice in their classrooms? Round table presentation at the 14th Annual
Reading Conference and 2nd International Literacy Coaching Summit. (Accepted.)
Zunker, N. D. (2009, January). Emergent writing based on new pre-k standards, K and 1st grade
TEKS, and the ELL language arts standards. Paper presented at the meeting of the
Center for Educational Development, Evaluation, and Research Annual Conference at
Texas A&M University—Corpus Christi.
Zunker, N. D. & Sanders, J. (2008, November-December). Connecting preservice teachers to the
community with service projects. Poster session presented at the meeting of the Center
for Educational Development, Evaluation, and Research Annual Conference at Texas
A&M University—Corpus Christi.
Garett, S. D., Schaum, A. M., Zunker, N. D., & Crowder, D. (2006, February). Nonfiction and
fiction texts through the eyes of students and teachers. Paper presented at the Southwest
Regional Conference of the International Reading Association in Albuquerque, New
Mexico.
Garrett, S. D., Schaum, A. M., & Zunker, N. D. (2006, February). Nonfiction in the classroom,
what we know. Round table presented at the meeting of the Center for Educational
Development, Evaluation, and Research Annual Conference at Texas A&M University—
Corpus Christi.
2/13/2016
Grace, M. & Zunker, N. D. (2006, February). Using children’s literature to support the social and
emotional growth of young children: Selected titles and recommended activites. Poster
presentation at the meeting of the Center for Educational Development, Evaluation, and
Research Annual Conference at Texas A&M University—Corpus Christi
Zunker, N. D. (2005, April). Science through literature and interactive visuals. Presentation at
the meeting of the Reading Conference and Center for Educational Development,
Evaluation, and Research Annual Conference at Texas A&M University—Corpus
Christi.
Zunker, N. D. & Schaum, A. M. (2005, April). My number world: Teaching math using cameras
and writer’s workshop. Presentation at the meeting of the Reading Conference and Center
for Educational Development, Evaluation, and Research Annual Conference at Texas
A&M University—Corpus Christi.
Grace, M. & Zunker, N. D. (2005, April). “I want something fun to do”: Reading and writing in
kindergarten classrooms. Institute at the meeting of the Reading Conference and Center
for Educational Development, Evaluation, and Research Annual Conference at Texas
A&M University—Corpus Christi.
Garrett, S. D. & Zunker, N. D. (2005, April). Young children and nonfiction: A perfect match.
Institute at the meeting of the Reading Conference and Center for Educational
Development, Evaluation, and Research Annual Conference at Texas A&M University—
Corpus Christi.
Zunker, N. D. (2003, April). Library journals. Poster presented at the meeting of the Annual
Reading Conference at Texas A&M University—Corpus Christi.
STATE PRESENTATIONS:
Zunker, N. D. (2009, September). Emergent writing strategies. Paper presented at the Texas
Association for Childhood Education International State Conference in Corpus Christi,
Texas.
Zunker, N. D. & Sander, J. (2008, October). The promise of literacy for all children. Paper
presented at the Texas Association for the Education of Young Children Annual
Conference in Corpus Christi, Texas.
Zunker, N. D. & Schaum, A. M. (2005, November). Crafting a story. Poster presented at Annual
TAMUS Pathways Research Symposium at Texas A&M University—Kingsville.
Zunker, N. D. (2004, October). The effect that shared reading of big books has on the oral
vocabulary of kindergarten children. Poster presented at Annual TAMUS Pathways
Research Symposium at Texas A&M University—Corpus Christi.
2/13/2016
Zunker, N. D. (2004, March). Library journals and literacy backpacks—A home-to-school
connection. Paper presented at the meeting of the Texas State Reading Association
Annual Conference on Literacy in Corpus Christi, Texas.
LOCAL PRESENTATIONS:
Zunker, N. D. & Sanders, J. (2008, June). One rhyme, two rhymes: Give me some math with my
Poetry. Presentation at (ME)2 by the Sea Conference. Coastal Council of Teachers of
Mathematics at Texas A&M University—Corpus Christi.
Zunker, N. D. (2007, February). Story retelling for beginning readers: A strategy for
comprehension in grades K-2. Paper presented at the meeting of the University of
Houston-Victoria School of Education and Human Development and the Mid-Coast
Reading Council Annual Literacy Conference in Victoria, Texas.
PUBLICATIONS:
Refereed articles:
Pearce, D. L. & Zunker, N. D. (in press). A survey of reading professors to determine seminal
works in reading comprehension. TheReading Professor.
Zunker, N. D. (2010). Jack Cassidy. In Linek, W. L., Massey, D., Sturtevant, E. G., Cochran, L.,
McClanahan, B., Sampson, M. B. (Eds.). College Reading Association Legacy: A
Celebration of 50 Years of Literacy Leadership. Commerce, TX: Association of Literacy
Educators and Researchers.
Garrett, S. D., Martinez-Schaum, A., Zunker, N. D., & Crowder, D., (2006). Nonfiction means
real: The accessibility of nonfiction texts in the elementary classroom. In Cassidy,
Martinez, & Swift (Eds.), Supporting Student Success CEDER Yearbook. Corpus Christi,
TX: Texas A&M University—Corpus Christi.
State Instructional Materials:
Pearce, D. L., Martinez-Schaum, A., & Zunker, N. D. (2006). Teaching reading in bilingual
classrooms (CD and instructional script). In Framework for Introductory Bilingual
Education Certification. Austin, TX: Texas Education Agency.
Publications in production:
Zunker, N. D. & Pearce, D. L. (Submitted 2010). A modified Delphi to identify the significant
works pertaining to understanding reading comprehension and content analysis of
identified works.
2/13/2016
Zunker, N. D. & Sanders, J. M. (Submitted 2010). Do early childhood teachers in South Texas
perceive themselves implementing the 2009 N.A.E.Y.C. guidelines of developmentally
appropriate practice in their classrooms?
Hernandez, A., Zunker, N. D., et al. (2010). Encyclopedia of Child Behavior and Development.
Zunker, N. D., Sanders, J. M., & Pasribu, A. P. (2010). Brighter Futures for the Young Children
of Indonesia: A Developmentally Appropriate Curriculum for Taman Kurnia
Kindergarten.