Michael is a licensed and practicing early childhood educator who teaches pre-k at a progressive DOE school in Manhattan. He has taught preschool for 3 years in his current position. Michael taught kindergarten ICT (integrated general education and special education) for 3 years and was a 3rd-grade reading specialist for 1 year. Michael has a Master of the Arts in Teaching and maintains his New York State license to teach birth to grade 2. He specializes in early childhood language and literacy development, mathematics, and play. Michael is trained in the Orton-Gillingham approach to literacy instruction, a program developed to teach reading and writing to people living with dyslexia. He uses a combination of strategic, sequential, multisensory phonics instructional techniques in combination with balanced literacy to help struggling readers. He uses various research-based assessments for progress reporting and communicating with families.