Dr. Jennaca Cotton is a Professor of Education and a Literacy Specialist. After graduating with her BA from Pepperdine University, she started her career in education as a first grade teacher in West Los Angeles. Dr. Cotton fell in love with the process of teaching reading, and returned to school to get her Masters in Reading Instruction and a Reading Specialist Credential from Loyola Marymount University. Dr. Cotton transitioned out of the classroom to become a Literacy Specialist for an elementary school and opened her private practice working with students and families to support their academic experiences, many of whom are neurodiverse. During this time, Dr. Cotton starting teaching part-time at the university level, working with current and future teachers as a University Field Supervisor and professor. A lifelong learner, she returned to earn a doctorate in Educational Leadership with an emphasis in Educational Psychology from University of Southern California. She transitioned in 2019 to working full-time as an Assistant Clinical Professor and Co-Director of Field Experience at Pepperdine University, where she guides future teachers in their Masters of Teaching program and mentors them through their student teaching experiences. Dr. Cotton continues to support families and consults with teachers and schools to bring research into classrooms in practical, hands-on, supportive ways.

Dr. Cotton lives in Southern California with her husband and two young children. Motherhood has made her even more passionate about education, as she now knows firsthand how important but confusing the educational setting can be for parents and children.

Dr. Cotton is trained in Lindamood Bell, Wilson Reading System, and Orton-Gillingham. She has led workshops on Dyslexia, the Foundations of Literacy, and the Science of Reading. She utilizes a whole-child approach when planning her instruction with students, preparing different plans specific for each individual child’s needs.

Dr. Cotton’s research interests and passions include Social and Emotional Learning, Literacy Foundations and Best Practices, Supporting Neurodiverse Students, Trauma-Informed Care Practices, Teacher Education, Universal Design for Learning, Early Childhood Education and its Lifelong Impacts, and Practical Implementation of Educational Psychology Tenets. Reach out to see how Dr. Cotton can best support you!