Alumna’s Achievement Recognized

The School of Education congratulates Sandy Dellalonga ’24Ph.D., who recently had an article accepted for publication in the Early Childhood Education Journal, a professional publication of original peer-reviewed articles that reflect exemplary practices in the field of contemporary early childhood education.

The article, "Scribbling and Early Literacy Connections: How Do Early Childhood Teachers Perceive Scribbles?” is based on the dissertation research she completed under the guidance of Olivia G. Stewart, Ph.D., Assistant Professor, Education Specialties.

“St. John’s University provided me with the opportunity to begin this next chapter in my life—and for that, I am forever grateful,” said Dr. Dellalonga, who earned her Ph.D. in Literacy in 2024.

She is now an Assistant Teaching Professor at the Sanford School of Education at National University, where she teaches reading classes to aspiring teachers. While currently working on an article that explores the integration of arts and literacy, she is also developing a proposal for her next research project. Dr. Dellalonga will investigate student motivation and engagement when exposed to an intervention that incorporates arts integration, visual literacy, and comprehension strategies.

See Article

Scribbling and Early Literacy Connections: How do Early Childhood Teachers Perceive Scribbles? (PDF)