Dr. Dione Jordan-Hamilton, assistant professor of reading in the Alabama A&M University College of Education, Humanities, and Behavioral Sciences (CEHBS), completed three literacy programs over the course of the 2020-2021 academic year.

Dr. Jordan-Hamilton finished the Dyslexia Certificate Program through the Dyslexia Training Institute, located in San Diego, Calif. The program consisted of four components: online coursework, a midterm, a final examination, and a practicum which required 110 hours of coursework plus an additional 60 hours of practicum experience.

The educator also completed LETRS? (Language Essentials for Teachers of Reading and Spelling) training for elementary teachers, a two-year program providing teachers with the skills they need to master the fundamentals of reading instruction—phonological awareness, phonics, fluency, vocabulary, comprehension, writing, and language. In addition, she completed LETRS? training for early childhood educators, a one-year program in the area of literacy.

These trainings are an asset to the Department of Teacher Education and Leadership as the department remains compliant with the new Alabama Literacy Act.