SARA WILFORD

WILFORD--Sara, age 89, died in her home, surrounded by her children, on October 22, 2021. M.S.Ed., M.Ed., Sara taught undergraduate and graduate students as a member of the Sarah Lawrence College psychology faculty from 1982 until her retirement in 2015. A former elementary public school teacher, she was director of the Sarah Lawrence Early Childhood Center for more than 20 years; founding director of the Art of Teaching, an innovative graduate teacher education program, from 1985-2014; and a participant in the public television films When a Child Pretends; From Pictures to Words; and When Values Go to School sponsored by the College's Child Development Institute. A conference speaker and workshop leader, her professional writing includes numerous articles and cover stories on early childhood development, five years of monthly Policies and Practices columns for Scholastic's Early Childhood Today magazine, and three books: Tough Topics: How to Use Books in Talking With Children about Life Issues and Problems (Longmeadow Press, 1989); What You Need to Know When Your Child is Learning to Read (Scholastic, Inc., 1998); and Nurturing Young Children's Disposition to Learn (Redleaf Press, 2009). Sara Wilford has six children, sixteen grandchildren, and nine great-grandchildren. She was a resident of New York City and West Stockbridge, MA. A celebration of Sara's life will be held at St. Paul's Episcopal Church, 29 Main St., Stockbridge, MA on Thursday, November 4, 2021, 11am. In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to the Sara Wilford '72 Fund for Early Childhood Education at Sarah Lawrence, Sarah Lawrence College, Office of Advancement, 1 Mead Way, Bronxville, NY 10708.