Tally Tales Literacy

Elementary Teacher, Grade 2 (Currently) Reaching Reading Success Teacher (Grades K-5 students with dyslexic tendencies) Elementary Teacher, Grade 1 Elementary Teacher, Grade 3 Lead Teacher, Preschool Graduate Research Assistant Research and Curriculum Unit Mississippi State University, Starkville, MS.

My classroom revolves around multisensory instruction and is based upon the Orton-Gillingham methodology. I work with students who display dyslexic tendencies, and we focus daily on phonemic awareness, spelling rules, and reading strategies.

PRESENTATIONS & PUBLICATIONS Journal of American Indian Education, Vol. 30 (2011) Manuscript Publication, “Postsecondary Transitions of Mississippi Band of Choctaw Indians Tribal Scholarship Program Students” American Educational Research Association (AERA) Annual Meetings, Spring, 2009 Paper presentation, “Postsecondary Transitions of Mississippi Band of Choctaw Indians Tribal Scholarship Program Students” College of Education Second Annual Faculty/Student Research Forum Mississippi State University, Spring 2009 Poster Session Presentation, "Why Teacher Candidates Study Diversity: Perspectives from Jonathan Kozol on Closing the Achievement Gap” The Lamar University Electronic Journal of Student Research, Fall 2008 Manuscript publication, “Vocabulary Instruction in Content Area Classrooms” National Council for the Accreditation of Teacher Education (NCATE) Review Mississippi State University, Spring 2007 Poster session and oral presentation

Master of Science in Elementary Education Mississippi State University, Starkville, MS. Bachelor of Science in Elementary Education Mississippi State University, Starkville, MS.

Hi! I'm Leslie, an elementary teacher with a passion for literacy instruction and advocacy. While I have taught first, second, and third grades, my most influential experience was gained during the 5 years I taught a reading class for children with dyslexia. My classroom instruction revolved around providing multi-sensory phonics instruction for students in kindergarten through 5th grade, and the knowledge I gained during that time has drastically shaped my priorities as an educator. Currently, I teach second grade, and I continue to prioritize multi-sensory phonics instruction in my classroom on a daily basis.