• Welcome!
    Dear Parents and Guardians,
      
    I am your Reading Specialist for grades K-3.  If you have a child in grades 1, 2, or 3, I interact with that child regularly, assessing reading fluency.  I work with those needing extra help with reading skills, individually or in small groups, to build reading, spelling, and writing skills, as well as reading comprehension.  We build confidence through our work together.  I also teach kindergarten students in small groups, if needed, to build foundational skills such as letter sounds, segmenting, and blending.  Your child's classroom teacher and I work closely together to provide support both in and out of their classrooms.  I am a familiar face to elementary students, and hopefully someone they trust. My teaching assistant is Ms. Michelle Conroy, who is like an old friend to us all--a trusted partner and co-conspirator in the love of reading and teaching your children.
     
    In the fall of 2003, I joined the faculty at Ellicottville Central School.  I worked as a high school English teacher for over ten years before transitioning to my current position at the elementary school.  Prior to coming to Ellicottville, I taught English at Salamanca Middle/High School.  I worked in human services as a case manager and child care director before becoming a teacher.

    I graduated from the University of Pittsburgh at Bradford in 1993.  My bachelor's degree is in American Studies, which is a combination of American history and American literature.  My minor is in Sociology.  I am permanently certified to teach both English and Social Studies, grades 7-12, in New York State.

    I earned a master's degree (M.S. Ed.) in Literacy at St. Bonaventure University in 2005 and a Ph.D. in English Education at SUNY Buffalo in 2013.  I hold professional literacy certificates Birth to grade 12. I am certified as a Dyslexia Practitioner in  Wilson Reading System and as an instructor of the PhonoGraphix Reading program.  I also work as an adjunct instructor at SUNY Fredonia, where I teach courses in reading and writing workshops in the middle elementary grades 3-6.  I have been working at Fredonia since fall of 2020.
     
    I became a strong reader when I fell in love with Nancy Drew mysteries as a child and read every one in our school library.  As an adult, I like to read mysteries and stories with twists and turns.  I'm a big fan of Edgar Allen Poe, and have been since my teenage years.  My favorite children's author is Cynthia Rylant, the author of the Henry and Mudge series.  My students and I prefer to read non-fiction texts, as they are fun to discuss and full of interesting facts.
     
    I am sincerely grateful to be employed by Ellicottville School District where my colleagues, students and their families are truly family to me.  By now, I am teaching many of the children of former high school students, and if I'm lucky, I'll still be here teaching the grandchildren of former students some day.  I absolutely love the connections that I have made over the years and making connections between students and parents and realizing my own history with a family.  There are plenty of new students too.  All are a blessing to me, and I am grateful every day to be your reading teacher.
     
    You are always welcome to borrow books from my classroom lending library.  I encourage you to read to your child/children daily and listen to them read aloud to you.  We know that students who struggle with reading often lack adequate reading practice at home.  Helping children at home is guaranteed to help them read at grade level.  Just remember that reading should not be a difficult task: feel free to pre-read text for them and join them in rereading known text again and again!  Talk to them about what you read, and enjoy their company.  Your children will grow so quickly, and once they are older, they may not want to read with you as readily.
     
    Please do not hesitate to contact me at school (699-2318, extension 1165).  If you prefer email, our school secretary will be happy to give you my email address.  I look forward to working with you!  
     
    Sincerely,
    Dr. Marie Davis