Hello, I'm Carlin Graveline

I am a lifelong learner and bookworm who loves quiet days at home with my children, dogs, chickens and other pets as much as I love camping, backpacking and taking new adventures. Originally from Georgia, I received my Bachelor’s degree from James Madison University in Virginia and my Master’s degree from Vanderbilt University in Tennessee, both in the field of speech-language pathology. Although many people may not associate speech-language pathology with reading, writing and spelling, the skills needed for literacy are language based, and I found myself increasingly gravitating towards this specialized area through the course of my career.  I’m currently pursuing my Ph.D. in Literacy Education at St. John’s University, as well as in the process of becoming a National Professional Learning Facilitator through the LETRS professional development program.

 

I began specializing in literacy development (and difficulties such as dyslexia) for a couple of different reasons. For starters, reading is one of the most empowering tools that we can give children. Not only does reading itself allow access to innumerable opportunities for learning, but it is vital in providing children with the vocabulary and language development that speaking alone cannot sufficiently provide. Furthermore, reading helps develop social-emotional and perspective taking skills, as well as introduces readers to new ideas, cultures and ways of life. Despite the immeasurable importance of reading, many teachers do not have adequate training to effectively teach reading, especially for those students to which it does not come easily or naturally. My goal, then, is to both help children become skilled, proficient readers, as well as help train educators to understand and implement research-based reading instruction (also referred to as the science of reading).

 

While I have studied many different reading programs, such as Orton Gillingham (and systems it has influenced, including Wilson and Barton), I aim to meet the individual needs of each student rather than scripted programs that may not fully align with the needs of the child. Even though children may share the same label, such as having dyslexia, the most effective intervention path remains as unique as the child themself!

 

My intervention and research interests include phonological, phonemic and morphological awareness, using a speech to print approach, and contextualized language. I enjoy analyzing spelling for phonology, morphology and orthography; discussing the importance of prosody and prosodic awareness in reading and listening comprehension; taking deep dives into etymology, derivational morphemes and word connotations; and empowering students with the knowledge and skills to help them become successful readers. In other words, I like taking a deep and nuanced perspective to understanding literacy development and difficulties!