Kerry McArthur, Ph.D.
Grades 1-2 Teacher
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Dr. Kerry McArthur earned a Ph.D. in Language, Reading and Culture from the University of Arizona, an M.Ed. in Curriculum and Instruction with an Emphasis in Language Arts Education from the University of Houston and a B.S. in Elementary Education with a minor in Reading from Texas Tech University. She also holds a Reading Specialist K-12 and an Early Childhood Certification.
Dr. McArthur began her career as a 4th grade teacher and soon found a passion for striving readers and student success. The quest to understand literacy development led to her work in the early grades, Pre-K-1st Grade, and later work at the secondary level, Grades 6-8, as a Reading Specialist. She has also written curriculum, served as Co-Director of a National Writing Project (NWP) site, worked as a professional developer, and coached teachers in the field. While Dr. McArthur’s most recent work has been at the university level, she has continued to teach young readers and writers. Moving into the 1-2 Grade position at CTL for Fall 2026 is a natural transition for her ongoing work in education.
Dr. McArthur’s teaching philosophy includes a view of learning as an inquiry process driven by both the curriculum and the learner’s interests. When partnered with project-based learning centered around student’s questions, conceptual understandings and literacy deepen within this purposeful framework. To foster such learning, she organizes the classroom using a Reading/Writing Workshop where the joy and love of learning can occur! She further develops students’ literacy processes from a socio-psycholinguistic lens, guiding each reader forward in their construction of meaning from print and in turn, developing their writing skills. Literacy workstations give students time to practice and implement their knowledge across the disciplines.
When not teaching, Dr. McArthur enjoys reading, gardening, and spending time with family. She has been blessed with two grown daughters and seven grandchildren.
