Monica A. Belfatti

Monica A. Belfatti serves as an Assistant Professor in the Department of Teacher Education at Saint Joseph's University, teaching literacy and science methods courses alongside senior seminars for student teachers. Her background combines extensive public and private school classroom experience with rigorous academic training from the University of Pennsylvania and Swarthmore College.

Education

• PhD, University of Pennsylvania
• MSEd, University of Pennsylvania
• BA, Swarthmore College

Research Interests

Her scholarship critically examines how print-bound and multimedia texts intersect with instructional contexts to shape children's comprehension of natural and social phenomena. Key investigations include:

• Children's engagement with informational science texts
• Dialogic approaches to literacy instruction
• Student perspectives on literacy competence
• Teacher-dependent dynamics in close reading

Research Trends

Publications from 2008-2017 reveal consistent focus on elementary literacy-science integration, emphasizing multimodal text analysis and student-centered pedagogy. Her work bridges theoretical frameworks with classroom practice, particularly through conference presentations at AERA and Literacy Research Association events.

Teaching and Mentoring

Dr. Belfatti mentors student teachers through capstone seminars while leveraging her certification and K-12 teaching background to inform curriculum development in literacy and science education methods.