Amanda M. Butler

Dr. Amanda M. Butler serves as Associate Professor of Education and Chair of Undergraduate Programs at Charleston Southern University, where she teaches literacy-focused courses for Early Childhood Education, Elementary Education, and Child Development majors. She also supervises student teachers and emphasizes supportive mentorship, stating: "I am looking for progress, not perfection."

Her research targets literacy disparities through:

• Narrowing achievement gaps for low-SES students
• Oral language development strategies
• Teacher-student relationship dynamics
• Root causes of reading underperformance

She designed curricula for CSU's Literacy and Literacy Coach M.Ed. programs and partners with local schools/organizations to enhance children's literacy access in the Lowcountry region.

Recent publications (2016–2021) cluster around:

• Parental roles in literacy development during crises
• Physiological/emotional barriers to learning
• Integration of citizenship and compassion into literacy curricula

She holds active memberships in:

• International Literacy Association
• National Council for Teachers of English
• South Carolina International Reading Association

and collaborates with Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library, Trident United Way, and Parents as Teachers.