Melissa Landa has been an educator for 25 years. After earning her BA from Oberlin College and her MA from the Eliot Pearson Department of Child Study at Tufts University, she began her career as a kindergarten teacher in a Title I school in Montgomery County Maryland, where she subsequently taught Head Start and first grade. She was then asked to serve as a writing specialist in the same district. Her first book Listening to Young Writers, is based on her approach to writing instruction and assessment, which pays particular attention to the relationship between oral language and writing; individual writing goals; English language learners; and to reluctant writers. Melissa contributed her class book strategy and several other innovative ideas to the school district's Language Arts Curriculum Guide and led professional development summer workshops for elementary school teachers.

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  After 15 years in Montgomery County, Melissa began a doctoral program at the University of Maryland. Upon completion of her dissertation, Crossing the Divide: Early Childhood Literacy Teachers Who Choose to Work in Title I Schools, Melissa was asked to join the faculty as a language arts and literacy instructor. For ten years, she taught Children's Literature and Language Arts, as well as several other courses, which she designed and created. Melissa was instrumental in reshaping the literacy courses in the Teacher Education Program and preparing teacher candidates to work effectively with children and families from diverse cultures. Melissa has presented her research on cultural competence and early literacy at conferences across the United States and the world. She has published her work in peer reviewed journals, and has won awards for her teaching and her research.