Mrs. Jen Dove has been a third-grade teacher at Linville Edom Elementary School for seventeen years. She has been in the same classroom observing every one of her classes flourish and learn for all these years.
When it comes to the Science of Reading, it’s not just about the “what,” but also the “how.” Understanding how children learn to read is important to the foundation of teachers implementing curriculum for each one of their unique students. The Language Essentials for Teachers of Reading and Spelling (LETRS) program is a professional development course for educators and has been a resounding success in Rockingham County Public Schools. Over the past three years, PreK-5 teachers have undergone this training, which is grounded in research and focuses on the science of reading. The science of reading is vital in third grade because students transition from learning to read to reading to learn. Since its introduction, Mrs. Dove has welcomed the chance to learn more about the science of reading and apply it to her third-grade teaching. While implementing LETRS, Mrs. Dove has also been pursuing her Masters in Reading at the University of Virginia with a cohort of teachers from RCPS.
In August, Mrs. Dove was selected to be a fellow with The Goyen Literacy Foundation. She was ranked as one of the top candidates of all the applicants who were selected and is also the first teacher from Virginia to be accepted. While in this fellowship, she will be able to share evidence-based literacy instructional practices with teachers across the country and encourage successful reading for all children.
The Goyen Foundation is a 501(c)(3) private family foundation that is currently focused on supporting students with learning differences.
We at Rockingham County Public Schools are extremely pleased with Mrs. Dove and the leadership that she has demonstrated and will continue to demonstrate to all of the children who are learning to read as well as the educators that she represents.