Zerna A. Sharp | |
|---|---|
| Born | Zerna Addis Sharp August 12, 1889 Hillisburg, Clinton County, Indiana, United States |
| Died | June 17, 1981 (aged 91) Frankfort, Indiana, United States |
| Occupation(s) | Editor and educator |
| Employer | Scott Foresman |
| Known for | Creator of the Dick and Jane series of beginning readers |
| Parent(s) | Charles and Lottie (Smith) Sharp |
Zerna Addas Sharp (August 12, 1889 – June 17, 1981) was an American educator and book editor who is best known as the creator of the Dick and Jane series of beginning readers for elementary school-aged children. Published by Scott, Foresman and Company of Chicago, Illinois, the readers, which described the activities of her fictional siblings, "Dick," "Jane," "Sally," and other characters, were widely used in schools in the United States and many other English-speaking countries for nearly forty years. The series, which included such titles as We Look and See, We Come and Go, We Work and Play, and Fun with Dick and Jane, among others, was marketed until 1973 and used the look-say method of teaching reading.