Neuropsychologist Jeannine Herron

Developer of the Read, Write & Type!™ Learning System

1963: Jeannine works with teachers in Mississippi

Co-Founder and Program Director of the first Head-Start Program in the U.S.

Dr. Herron has been involved in children's education since 1955. Her deep and abiding belief that children are our most precious asset and that their welfare and growth must be at the heart of every choice we make as adults has informed her work for over forty years. This mother of two and grandmother of five has been teacher, activist, research scientist, adventurer, editor, writer, and educational software developer, and shows no signs of slowing down.

She began her career as an American teacher in the mid-fifties, teaching English, Mathematics, and General Science to middle and high school students in Ramallah, Jordan. It was there that she met her husband, Matt Herron, an American photojournalist, also working as a teacher overseas. They were married in Beirut, Lebanon in 1956.

Seven years later, she and Matt, and their two small children moved to Mississippi to be active in the civil rights movement. It was there that Jeannine became Co-founder and Program Director of the first Head Start project in the United States, the Child Development Group of Mississippi, an organization that served over 5,000 children.

Investigates Dyslexia at UCSF's Langley Porter Institute

Jeannine Herron received her Ph.D. from Tulane University Medical School, and went on to Stanford Research Institute as a neurobiologist and neuropsychologist. In 1974, she was awarded a research fellowship from the National Institute of Health (NIH) to investigate the cerebral organization in left-handers, right-handers, and ambidexters. This research culminated in the publication of her book, Neuropsychology of Left-Handedness, by Academic Press in 1980. From 1976 to 1984 she continued at Langley Porter as research psychologist, contributing to all aspects of a large NIH-funded project studying the correlates of dyslexia.

1970: Jeannine takes the helm on voyage to West Africa

Embarks on Voyage to West Africa

In 1970, Jeannine and Matt, with their children, Matthew, age 13, and Melissa, age 11, sailed Aquarius, their thirty-foot sloop, from New Orleans to West Africa. For a year and a half, the Herrons visited countries from Mauritania to Ghana, including a 300-mile inland trip up the Gambia River. It was an experiment in alternative education for the children who read more than 100 books, learned to type, studied French, math, marine biology and navigation, while absorbing geography and African culture. Matthew and Melissa were encouraged to keep a journal of their thoughts and experiences. This activity underscored Jeannine's view of writing as a powerful educational tool, and led to the book The Voyage of Aquarius, a fascinating account of their travels authored by all four members of the family. The book was published in 1974 by EP Dutton.