ABOUT US
Welcome to the BRAINSread site! My name is Leeann Howard, and I am the developer and owner of BRAINSread, a professional development provider in the areas of reading, writing, reading intervention, dyslexia, and early literacy learning. It is my goal to empower teachers with the knowledge and skills they need to be most effective in the classroom. It is my passion to provide all students with the opportunity to be taught using the latest research-based practices to best meet their learning needs. Learning to read, and learning to read well, are critical skills that can change the lives of children and adults.
My path towards reading began out of desperation. I was a first year teacher in first grade finding myself “Googling” the phonics skills that I was expected to teach my students. I panicked in the book room looking at the level 18 that I should have my students reading by the end of the year. I was a successful college student and graduated with a 4.0, but I was quickly realizing that I needed more knowledge. I enrolled in a master’s in reading program that began a path towards professional learning, and I have not stopped. I went on to earn my doctoral degree in Curriculum and Teaching with an emphasis in Reading. Since then, I have continued to learn through professional reading and attending trainings and professional development opportunities in the areas of word-level reading and dyslexia.
I do not feel that I am alone in my early desperation. I meet teacher after teacher who want to know more and understand how the brains of their students learn to read, what to do with a dyslexic learner, and how to best teach students to master this language. I currently teach undergraduate candidates at Harding University, and my goal is to prepare them to the best of my ability to be able to use research-based practices with their students and to continue to seek out new research and new knowledge throughout their careers. As a previous preschool teacher, first grade teacher, literacy specialist, and current university professor, it is my goal to help facilitate this learning through professional development opportunities and sharing my passion with teachers.
DR. LEEANN HOWARD
Director of Professional Field Experiences
Assistant Professor
Harding University
info@brainsread.com