School of Education

Education

• Ph.D. in Education in Instructional Leadership (Cognate: Public Administration), Virginia Commonwealth University
• M.Ed. in Elementary Education (License: Reading Specialist K-12), Texas A&M-Texarkana
• B.S. in Elementary Education (Magna Cum Laude), Indiana University of Pennsylvania
  
  

Research interests

Literacy intervention and clinics, digital literacy, human trafficking prevention, international education and the impact of study abroad experiences on educators.

Courses

• Diagnosis and remediation of reading difficulties
• Media literacy
• Teaching writing through children's literature
• Foundations of reading education
• Home-school communication
  
  

Recent Publications

Kamat, P.*, Spence, C., Rhodes, J., Cipolletti, L. & Clay, K. (2025). Remote literacy instruction and curriculum for pre-k: Educators’ and parents’ perspectives. Journal of Childhood Literacy and Societal Issues, 4(1), 26-42. https://joclsi.com/index.php/joclsi/article/view/59/43

Laster, B., Rogers, R., Gallagher, T., Scott, D. B., Vasinda, S., Orellana, P., Rhodes, J., Deeney, T., Waller, R., Hoch, M., Cavendish, L., Milby, T., Butler, M., Johnson, T., Msengi, S., Dozier, C., Huggins, & Gurvitz, D. (2024). Literacy clinics during COVID-19: Pivoting and imagining the future. Contemporary Issues in Technology and Teacher Education, 24(1). https://citejournal.org/volume-24/issue-1-24/current-practice/literacy-clinics-during-covid-19-pivoting-and-imagining-the-future 

Deeney, T. A., Dozier, C. L., Laster, B., Gallagher, T. L., Waller, R., Rhodes, J. A., Milby, T. M., Gurvitz, D., Hoch, M., Cavendish, L., Solomon Huggins, S., Msengi, S., McAndrews, S. L., Gray, E. S., McCarty, R., & Ferrara, P. (2024). Family Perspectives of University Reading Clinic/Literacy Lab Experiences: What Matters. Journal of Teacher Education, 75(4), 424-437. https://doi.org/10.1177/00224871231211266

Rhodes, J. A. & Milby, T. M. (2023). Implementation of creative practices in international literacy clinics. In A. Babino, N. Cossa, K. Dixon & J. J. Araujo (Eds.) Elevating the Role of Creativity, Identity, and Voice in Literacy. The Forty-Fourth Yearbook: A Double Peer-Reviewed Publication of the Association of Literacy Educators and Researchers. https://cdn.ymaws.com/www.aleronline.org/resource/resmgr/yearbooks/44th_yearbook.

Livingston, A.*, & Rhodes, J. (2022). Promoting social emotional learning through multicultural adolescent literature. Reading in Virginia, 44, 69-72. https://heyzine.com/flip-book/c600142098.html#page/75

Laster, B., Butler, M., Waller, R., Vasinda, S., Hoch, M., Orellana, P., Rhodes, J., Deeney, T., Scott, B. D., Gallagher, T., Cavendish, L., Milby, T., Rogers, R., Johnson, T., Msengio, S. Dozier, C., Huggins, S., & Gurvitz, D. (2022).  Literacy clinics during COVID-19: Voices that envision the future. Literacy Research and Instruction. https://doi.org/10.1080/19388071.2022.2134064

Zammit, K., Rhodes, J., & Milby, T. (2022). International approaches to writing instruction: A comparison of curriculum in the United States and Australia. The Australian Journal of Language and Literacy. https://doi.org/10.1007s44020-022-00002-6

Jones, S. E.*, Ellery, V. A., Rhodes, J. A., & Hull, B. J. (2021). Adequately equipping our children: The need for child-centered, play-based approaches to human trafficking prevention. Journal of Human Trafficking. https://doi.org/10.1080/23322705.2021.2007462

Bio

Dr. Joan A. Rhodes, associate professor of reading and early/elementary education, is the Coordinator of the Early Childhood, Elementary Education, and Health and Physical Education programs in the School of Education. In these roles she is responsible for supporting students in clinical placements, curriculum development and direct instruction. Rhodes is a member of the graduate faculty for the Ph.D. in Education program in which she teaches courses in professional development and instructional theory. During her tenure at VCU, Dr. Rhodes has led nine study abroad programs to diverse countries including New Zealand, Hungary, Italy and Costa Rica. She served as the principal investigator for multiple grant-funded projects, totaling more than $9.7 million. She was awarded VCU SOE Distinguished Scholar Award (2007), SOE Alumni Council Faculty Award for Exemplary Application of Technology (2012), Virginia College Literacy Educators, Jones-Daly Award for Faculty Involvement (2018) and the Professors of Literacy and Teacher Educators, International Distinction Award (2018).

Before joining the VCU faculty in 2003, Rhodes was an assistant professor at Auburn University-Montgomery and adjunct faculty at Texas A&M-Texarkana and George Mason University. She has more than 35 years of teaching experience at the preschool, elementary, middle school and collegiate levels, and has served as an English as a Second Language educator and reading specialist. Rhodes also has significant leadership experience through previous positions as the Faculty Director of Educator Preparation, Chair of the Department of Teaching and Learning and Director of Family Child Care Programs.

Curriculum Vitae