Literacy Talks

Stacy Hurst has degrees in Sociology and Elementary Education and reading and has Advanced Reading and ESL Endorsements. In over twenty years as an educator, she has been a first-grade teacher, ELL teacher, literacy coach, reading specialist, and now a university professor. Her extensive experience includes teaching reading, coordinating interventions for struggling readers, coaching teachers, implementing blended learning, and training thousands of teachers on effective literacy instruction. Stacy is the Chief Academic Officer at Reading Horizons, is an Assistant Professor of Teacher Education at Southern Utah University, and is the co-author of Reading Horizons Discovery®.

Donell Pons has a husband and two children with dyslexia. She is a dyslexia presenter, consultant, and reading tutor. Ms. Pons received the Teacher of Tomorrow award when she completed a dual MED and MAT in teaching and learning from Westminster College. She was a member of the task force that wrote the Utah Dyslexia Handbook. Ms. Pons also has a special education certification and has taught secondary Language Arts, and worked at a charter school focusing on supporting students on the Autism spectrum. In 2016, Ms. Pons implemented a complete literacy program at a public charter school, the American International School of Utah. Every educator and paraeducator k-5 was trained in the same Structured Literacy reading program. She has had numerous articles published in Language Magazine, The Learning Counsel, ASCD SmartBrief, and Landmark Academy Newsletter regarding blended learning, reading instruction, and appropriate accommodations. She has also produced a nationally recognized three-part webcast series for Reading Horizons on teaching reading and recognizing dyslexia. Ms. Pons is currently teaching adults in the workplace who would like to improve their reading skills.

Lindsay Kemeny has been teaching elementary school for 11 years and is currently teaching first grade. After her son was diagnosed with dyslexia and depression, she began her deep dive into effective literacy instruction. She is a CERI certified Structured Literacy Classroom Teacher and has a master’s degree in Curriculum and Instruction. In addition to being a classroom teacher, Lindsay has served as a teacher mentor, reading interventionist, and presenter. She has had articles published in The Reading League Journal and Dystinct Magazine. She lives in northern Utah with her husband and four children. You can read about her journey at www.thelearningspark.blogspot.com.