Associate Professor
Graduate Coordinator for Curriculum and Instruction
ED 146
575.562.2922
Kathleen.Donalson@enmu.edu
Academic Background
Ph.D. in Curriculum and Instruction, emphasis in Language and Literacy
Texas Tech University
M.A. in Elementary Education, thesis on Balanced Reading
University of New Mexico
B.S. Elementary Education and Psychology
University of New Mexico
New Mexico Teaching Licenses Level III: Administration, B-3, K-8, K-12
Endorsements: Reading, Language arts, TESOL, and Psychology
Scholarly Interests
Dr. Donalson has spent her career working with adults and children who struggle with reading. She runs a reading clinic on-site at ENMU each summer. Children, who struggle in reading, come from Portales and surrounding areas to work one-on-one with college students to receive reading tutoring. Each spring, Dr. Donalson works with a team of graduate students offering free reading testing to families with children who struggle in reading. Students in Dr. Donalson’s classes have numerous field experiences including reading with children from the New Mexico Baptist Children’s Home and the New Mexico Christian Children’s Home.
Biography
Dr. Donalson was born and raised in Albuquerque, New Mexico. She received her Ph.D. from Texas Tech University in Curriculum and Instruction focusing on language and literacy. In 2005, Dr. Donalson was awarded Texas Tech University College of Education Doctoral Student of the Year. She received both her bachelor's and master's degrees from the University of New Mexico. She taught 14 years in public K-12 school classrooms. Much of her teaching career was in Title I/Chapter I (a federally funded program for children at a disadvantage). Dr. Donalson taught for five years as a bilingual teacher and English as a Second language (ESL). She served five years in administrative positions in the public schools. She served on the Board of Directors for the Roosevelt Literacy Council and volunteered teaching adults basic literacy and ESL. She has been awarded several grants in the state of New Mexico to fund educational programs. She has multiple publications on instructional implications for readers who struggle.