She is currently a professor of language, literacy, and culture and a faculty associate in the combined program in education and psychology at the University of Michigan.
D. in Human Development and Psychology, with an emphasis on Language and Literacy from Harvard University.
During this time she also Co-Founded the Neighborhood House Charter School Summer Literacy Institute in Dorchester, Massachusetts.
In 1999, she was the recipient of the Promising Researcher Award from the National Council of Teachers of English.
In 2000, Duke published a seminal research article on the scarcity of informational text in classroom environments and activities.
[3] Recent articles include suggestions for incorporation of more quantity and quality of informational text in the classroom.
Teachers can increase access through more informational texts in classroom libraries and environmental print in the classroom, and increase time devoted to instruction using information text through read aloud and strategy instruction.
Research studies of similar questions can demonstrate complementary results using different methodologies and this use is encouraged [5] In a book chapter with Pearson, Strachan, and Billman, Duke suggests 10 elements of fostering comprehension growth: building disciplinary and world knowledge, providing exposure to a volume and range of texts, providing motivating texts and contexts for reading, teaching strategies for comprehending, teaching text structures, engaging students in discussion, building vocabulary and language knowledge, integrating reading and writing, observing and assessing, and differentiating instruction.
[6] IDuke (and Beck(1999)) argue that the current form of dissertations is not an authentic format for new researchers to learn how to participate in the academic realm.
The dissertation format is a genre in and of itself, and if PhD candidates are able to publish their findings, it requires massive rewrites.
Nell Duke has authored, co-authored, or co-edited books including Reading and Writing Genre with Purpose in K - 8 Classrooms (2012), “Literacy Research Methodologies” (2004, 2011), “Beyond Bedtime Stories: A Parent’s Guide to Promoting Reading, Writing, and other literacy skills form birth to 5” (2007), “Literacy and the Youngest Learner: Best Practices for Educators of Children from Birth to Five.” (2005), and Reading and Writing Informational Text in the Primary Grades: Research-Based Practices (2003).
For the rich it’s richer: Print experiences and environments offered to children in very low- and very high-SES first grade classrooms.
IRA Outstanding Dissertation Award for 2000: Print environments and experiences offered to first grade students in very low- and very high-SES school districts.
“Can I say ‘Once upon a time’?”: Kindergarten children developing knowledge of information book language.
Beyond bedtime stories: A parent’s guide to promoting reading, writing, and other literacy skills from birth to 5.