Dr. Johnson did her undergraduate study at Southwest Minnesota State University in Marshall, Minnesota; her master's work in special education at Minnesota State University, Mankato; and earned her doctoral degree from The University of South Dakota. She began her teaching career in a fourth-grade classroom with subsequent experiences in public, private, and home education. Dr. Johnson currently serves on the board of the South Dakota Learning Disabilities Association and on the Children's Book Award Committee for the South Dakota Library Association. She writes and speaks about strategies that support struggling readers.