Jennifer Serravallo is a literacy consultant, researcher, and author of two professional books on differentiating instruction during independent reading, Conferring With Readers (2007) and Teaching Reading in Small Groups (2010). For eight years, she has worked as a staff developer and a national consultant with the Teachers College Reading and Writing Project at Columbia University. In this capacity, she helps urban, suburban, and rural schools implement exceptional literacy instruction through reading and writing. While working toward an MA at Teachers College, she taught grades 3–5 in two Title I schools with large class sizes, high numbers of ELLs, and an enormous range of learners.The experience galvanized her to develop this Independent Reading Assessment and other resources that help teachers meet students wherever they are in their learning curve as readers and writers. Jennifer is also a graduate of Vassar College, with degrees in Child Development and Elementary Education. She has taught undergraduate- and graduate-level courses at both Vassar and Teachers College on children’s literature and Urban Education Reform.