Joanna
Newton
Education
- Ph.D. in Education: Literacy, George Mason University, 2018. Doctoral Dissertation: Teachers’ Experiences with Professional Development and Morphological Vocabulary Instruction.
- Literacy Specialist Endorsement, George Mason University, 2010
- M. Ed. In Curriculum and Instruction, George Mason University, 2004
- B.A. in Sociology, The George Washington University, 1997
Bio
Joanna Newton, PhD, is an Assistant Professor in the School of Education at 51ÊÓƵ. In addition to teaching undergraduate and graduate courses in literacy instruction, she serves as the Coordinator of the Literacy Specialist Program and mentors doctoral students through service on dissertation committees. Dr. Newton is an active member of the university community, contributing to the School of Education’s Advanced Programs and Assessment committees, as well as various university-wide initiatives.
Dr. Newton’s work in higher education is informed by 19 years of service in public education. Her diverse K–12 background includes roles as an elementary classroom teacher, school-based literacy coach, and reading intervention specialist. She has also served at the district level as a reading coach, professional development facilitator, and curriculum developer for K–6 instruction. Her career in education began internationally, serving as a Peace Corps Volunteer teaching English in Armenia.
Research Interests
Dr. Newton’s research explores the intersections of morphology instruction and literacy acquisition across elementary, secondary, and higher education settings. Her work specifically examines how academic vocabulary instruction supports literacy development for diverse learners. Additionally, she investigates professional development models, such as literacy coaching and school-university partnerships, that empower educators to create and sustain meaningful improvements in their instructional practice. She is an active member of the Association of Literacy Educators and Researchers (ALER) and the National Association of School-University Partnerships (NASUP).
Selected Publications and Presentations
Beauchat, K., Blamey, K., & Newton, J. (In press). The Science of Reading in the Preschool Classroom. Taylor & Francis.
Newton, J., & McHugh, L. (2026, March).Why Integrating Technology into Literacy Instruction Matters ‘More Than Ever.’ Presented at the Common Ground Maryland 2026 Conference. Towson, MD.
Newton, J., Silver, P., King, M., & Wang, N. (2026, February). ‘Those Informations Were Helpful. I Do Not Want to Say Enough, but Helpful:’ Somewhat Honest Feedback from Chinese Students, University Faculty, and Mentors in a Certification Program. Presented at the National Association of School University Partnerships (NASUP) Annual Conference. Washington, D.C.
Newton, J., Beauchat, K., & McHugh, L. (2025, November). ‘More Important Than Ever:’ Supporting the Integration of Technology in Literacy Instruction in Teacher Preparation Classes. Presented at the National Council of Teachers of English (NCTE) Annual Conference. Denver, CO.
Newton, J. (2025, November). Teachers’ Knowledge of Morphology: A Thirty (One) Year Review of Research Evidence, 1994-2025. Presented at the Association of Literacy Educators and Researchers (ALER) Annual Conference. Oklahoma City, OK.
Newton, J. (2025). ‘Just not on the radar’: Factors that influence teachers’ decisions about vocabulary instruction. Association of Literacy Educators and Researchers Yearbook Volume 46: Breaking Down Barriers to Mobilize Our Literate Selves, 237-256.
Newton, J. (2025, March). ‘Make It Safe:’ The Impact of an SUP Professional Development Cohort on Trauma-Responsive Instruction in a K-5 Elementary School. Presented at the National Association for School University Partnerships (NASUP) Annual Conference. New Orleans, LA.
Newton, J. (2024, November). ‘Just not on the Radar:’ Factors That Influence Teachers’ Decisions About Vocabulary Instruction. Presented at the Association of Literacy Educators and Researchers (ALER) Annual Conference, Orlando, FL.
Newton, J. (2024, March). Less hand raising; more turn and talk: The impact of an SUP professional development cohort on instructional beliefs and practices around supporting English learners in a K-5 elementary school. Presented at the National Association of School University Partnerships (NASUP) Annual Conference, Anaheim, CA.
Savick, S. Newton, J., Silver, P. & Watson, L. (2024, March). Supporting Pk-12 continuous school improvement efforts in a school-university partnership network. Presented at the National Association of School University Partnerships (NASUP) Annual Conference, Anaheim, CA.
Newton, J. & Bennink, K. (2023). ‘Learning it together’: Administrators as partners and coaches. Reading in Virginia, XLV, 25-30.
Newton, J. (2023). The Ginsburg Elementary Bookmobile. In M. Vaughn & S. A. Parsons, Accelerating Learning Recovery for All Students (pp. 35-37). The Guildford Press.
Rasinski, T., Padak, N., Newton, R.M., Newton, E., & Newton, J. (Contributing Author). (2020). Building Vocabulary with Greek and Latin Roots: A Professional Guide to Word Knowledge and Vocabulary Development (2nd edition). Huntington Beach, CA: Shell Education.
Newton, J. (2019). Elizabeth (Betty) Guiles Sturtevant: A life. A Ten Years Retrospective of the Association of Literacy Educators and Researchers: 2008-2018, 267-280.
Newton, J. (2018). Teachers as learners: The impact of teachers’ morphological awareness on vocabulary instruction. Education Sciences, 8 (4), 161-171.
Rasinski, T., Padak, N., & Newton, J. (2017). The roots of comprehension: Studying Latin and Greek word origins makes vocabulary instruction resonate. Educational Leadership, 74(5), 41-45.
Newton, J. (2016, December). Teachers as learners: The transformative power of professional development on teachers’ beliefs about vocabulary instruction. Presented at the Literacy Research Association (LRA) Sixty-Sixth Annual Conference, Nashville, TN.
Rasinski, T. & Newton, J. (2015, July). Teaching vocabulary from word roots: Powerful instruction for increasing word knowledge for reading. Presented at the International Literacy Association (ILA) Sixtieth Annual Conference, St. Louis, MO.
Newton, J. & Monroy, A. (2014). Bringing theory to practice: Lessons learned from an after-school intervention program. Making Literacy Connections, 24, 59-79.
Newton, J. (2013, April). Classroom-tested strategies for nurturing the affective domain in young readers: Building the affective-domain in struggling sixth grade readers using readers’ theater. Presented at the International Reading Association IRA) Fifty-Eighth Annual Convention, San Antonio, TX.
Rasinski, T., Padak, N., Newton, E., Newton, R. & Newton, J. (2012, May). Teaching vocabulary from word roots: An instructional routine for elementary grades. Presentation at the International Reading Association Fifty-Seventh Annual Convention, Chicago, IL.
Rasinski, T., Padak, N., Newton J., & Newton, E. (2011). The Latin-Greek connection: Building elementary students’ vocabulary through morphological study. The Reading Teacher, 65(2) 133-141.
Rasinski, T., Padak, N., Newton, E., Newton, R. & Newton, J. Divide, conquer, combine, and create: A vocabulary learning routine for grades 1-11. Presented at the International Reading Association Fifty-Fifth Annual Convention, Chicago, IL. April, 2010.
Newton, J. (2005, May). Using literature to examine social issues in a multicultural second grade. Presented at the International Reading Association Fiftieth Annual Convention, San Antonio, TX.
Newton, J. (2004, May.) A Peace Corps volunteer uses Language Experience Approach in an Armenian village school. Presented at the International Reading Association, Forty-ninth Annual Convention, Reno, NV.
Professional Affiliations & Memberships
- Association of Literacy Educators and Researchers
- International Literacy Association
- National Association for School and University Partnerships
- Virginia State Literacy Association
Professional Recognition
- Fairfax County Public Schools: Outstanding Leader School Recipient Award (2019)
- Featured in Education Week (2016) for morphology-focused professional development at Woodlawn Elementary School in Fairfax, VA
- Outstanding Achievement in Multicultural Education Award, George Mason University (2004)