App State Child Development, Literacy, and Special Education

App State Child Development, Literacy, and Special Education These programs provide coursework and field experiences in a variety of settings and can lead to licensure.

The Department of Child Development, Literacy, and Special Education is one of five departments in the Reich College of Education at Appalachian State University, offering innovative programs that focus on all facets of child development, reading, writing, language arts, and specific areas of special education.

The RCOE was packed with Western North Carolina teachers this past weekend for the first annual Appalachian Literacy Sum...
09/18/2026

The RCOE was packed with Western North Carolina teachers this past weekend for the first annual Appalachian Literacy Summit!

The RCOE Literacy Program is still glowing from the wonderful time we had at the Appalachian Literacy Summit-Rooted in R...
09/17/2026

The RCOE Literacy Program is still glowing from the wonderful time we had at the Appalachian Literacy Summit-Rooted in Resilence!!

Dr. Rong Zhang is an assistant professor in the Department of Child Development, Literacy, and Special Education at Appa...
09/16/2026

Dr. Rong Zhang is an assistant professor in the Department of Child Development, Literacy, and Special Education at Appalachian State University.

Her research interests include children’s literature, multimodal meaning making, digital literacy, and family literacy. She studies young children’s literacy skills developed during picturebook and wordless book reading. She also enjoys working with families and young children of multilingual and multicultural backgrounds. Her research supports young readers build understanding towards culture, identity, social justice, history, and social-emotional learning through interactive read-alouds. 📖📚

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Dr. Sumrall is an Associate Professor of Child Development and Education, Program Director for Child Development: Child ...
09/16/2026

Dr. Sumrall is an Associate Professor of Child Development and Education, Program Director for Child Development: Child and Family Science, and Internship and Practicum Coordinator at Appalachian State University. With professional experience spanning Head Start, early childhood education, and higher education, her work focuses on early learning and development, teacher preparation and professional development, and emergent curriculum and project-based learning. Dr. Sumrall is the recipient of the 2023 RCOE Outstanding Undergraduate Teaching Award and the 2026 RCOE Outstanding Mentoring Award. She is passionate about supporting students, preparing future early childhood professionals, and strengthening connections between higher education and the early childhood community. 📚

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Kelley Wilson is an experienced educator with 20 years in the field, serving as a classroom teacher, literacy specialist...
09/15/2026

Kelley Wilson is an experienced educator with 20 years in the field, serving as a classroom teacher, literacy specialist, and lecturer. She holds degrees in Elementary and Reading Education from Appalachian State University and is a National Board Certified Teacher. Currently pursuing her Ed.D. at UNC-Chapel Hill, Kelley is passionate about literacy, the science of reading, educator development, and using research to strengthen student achievement. 📚✨

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Dr. Abigail (Abbey) Ferris is an Assistant Professor of Literacy Education at Appalachian State University. She received...
09/15/2026

Dr. Abigail (Abbey) Ferris is an Assistant Professor of Literacy Education at Appalachian State University. She received her PhD in Literacy from the University at Albany in Upstate New York. Prior to her doctoral studies, she taught early childhood intervention and elementary education. Her research interests include literacy policy, early literacy intervention, and pre- and in-service literacy teacher education. She is a member of the International Literacy Association (ILA) and the Literacy Research Association. 📚🍎

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Dr. Daniel Poling is a faculty member in Special Education at Appalachian State University. He earned his Ph.D. in Speci...
09/14/2026

Dr. Daniel Poling is a faculty member in Special Education at Appalachian State University. He earned his Ph.D. in Special Education from the University of Florida and spent 13 years as a special education teacher supporting K–12 students in Maryland and North Carolina. He is currently pursuing his master's degree in Clinical Mental Health Counseling. He teaches courses focused on emotional and behavioral needs, academic writing, and special education instructional methods. His research explores teacher-student relationships, social-emotional learning, executive function, and verbal aggression. Dr. Poling has presented nationally and internationally and serves on the editorial board of Intervention in School and Clinic. 📚✨

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Tonya Moore is a Lecturer in the Department of Child Development, Literacy, and Special Education at Appalachian State U...
09/11/2026

Tonya Moore is a Lecturer in the Department of Child Development, Literacy, and Special Education at Appalachian State University. She holds an M.A. in Reading Education and a B.S. in Special Education from App State and is currently pursuing her doctorate in Educational Leadership with a concentration in literacy and special education. As a former high school special educator, Tonya developed a passion for supporting older beginner readers and writers. She now teaches undergraduate and graduate courses in teacher research, assistive technology, and literacy assessment and instruction for students with autism, both in-person and online. Her research focuses on literacy instruction for students with extensive support needs, Williams syndrome, interprofessional teacher education, inclusive literacy instruction, and disability studies pedagogy. 📚💙

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Rhonda Russell is a Senior Lecturer in the Department of Child Development, Literacy, and Special Education at Appalachi...
09/11/2026

Rhonda Russell is a Senior Lecturer in the Department of Child Development, Literacy, and Special Education at Appalachian State University. With experience as a preschool and kindergarten teacher, she brings a passion for child-centered, play-based learning and intentional teaching to her work with future educators. Rhonda was the recipient of the 2025-2026 Reich College of Education Outstanding Advocacy for Student Success Award and is actively involved in community-based research, workforce development, and child advocacy, serving as the faculty advisor for the Child Advocacy Club. 🍎📚

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Jenny McCourry serves as the Early Literacy Field-Based Program Coordinator in the Department of Child Development, Lite...
09/10/2026

Jenny McCourry serves as the Early Literacy Field-Based Program Coordinator in the Department of Child Development, Literacy, and Special Education at Appalachian State University. A National Board Certified teacher, Jenny holds both an M.A. in Reading Education and B.S. in Elementary Education from App State and brings over a decade of early literacy experience, including seven years teaching first grade in North Carolina public schools. She coordinates field-based literacy experiences for teacher candidates, teaches undergraduate literacy courses, and mentors preservice teachers. Her work is grounded in the belief that all children can learn to read, even if they get there in different ways—and every child has the right to do so. Her research interests include early childhood education, reading education, literacy development, and the science of reading. 📚✨

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Address

151 College Street
Boone, NC
28608

Opening Hours

Monday 8am - 5pm
Tuesday 8am - 5pm
Wednesday 8am - 5pm
Thursday 8am - 5pm
Friday 8am - 5pm

Telephone

+18282622182

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