Our Staff

emilieThe Reading Barn is staffed by New York State certified special education teachers, a certified math teacher, four certified elementary
teachers, and qualified teaching assistants. For more information, please contact The Reading Barn.

Emilie B. Dyson
Director

Emilie Dyson is an educator, an advocate for children and families, and an exemplary community leader. Originally from New Hampshire, Emilie, and her husband, Rob, have long been residents of the Hudson Valley, raising their children, Christopher and Molly, in the community of Pleasant Valley.

Emilie’s lifelong commitment to teaching children the mechanics of reading led her to obtain a Master’s of Education degree from the State University at New Paltz, which she achieved after receiving a Bachelor’s of Science degree from Elmira College. Emilie, who is a New York State Certified Reading Specialist, has taught in the Hyde Park School District. In 1985, she founded The Reading Barn, an innovative summer program that offers individualized reading, math and creative writing instruction for remedial or enrichment students. In addition, she now operates an educational consulting service designed to guide parents through a positive parenting process.

Emilie has devoted time, talent, and passion to many nonprofit organizations in her community. During her eight years as President of the Board of Family Services, Inc., Emilie was the creator and driving force behind the Kid’s Expo, which turns downtown Poughkeepsie into a weekend playground of discovery and learning for children from all over the Hudson Valley region each year. She was also an originator of the idea that brought about the Family Partnership Center in urban downtown Poughkeepsie, which houses over twenty agencies and services in a single, multi-purpose site.

Emilie has been a trustee of the Children’s Home in Poughkeepsie, a board member of the Vassar Brothers Hospital Foundation and Grace Smith House, the co-president of the Arlington Central School District’s Albertson Foundation, a member of the Advisory Board of Barclay’s Bank, and a member of the Pleasant Valley Planning Board.

During the 2001-2002 school year, Emilie was employed by Family Services, Inc. to work as a site coordinator. Emilie was entrusted with supervising one hundred students, who ranged from kindergarteners to fifth graders, and twelve staff members for the After-School Program in the City of Poughkeepsie School District. During the 2002-2003 school year, she set up another site and recognized the need to “bridge” the academic activities of the regular school day and the After-School Program. After months of research and meetings with the City of Poughkeepsie teachers and principals, Emilie was hired by the City of Poughkeepsie School District, Family Services, Inc., and The Community Foundation to create teacher manuals for grades kindergarten through grade five titled, The Fast Forward Literacy Program. This program was implemented and is still used at three schools. Fast Forward was designed specifically for after-school staff to help them reinforce reading and writing skills in an innovative format.

Emilie returned to full-time teaching in 2006, as a second grade teacher at Dutchess Day School in Millbrook, New York. She retired from this position in June 2008. She continues to operate The Reading Barn and offer other educational services. Emilie returned in 2012 as the Lower School reading specialist to Dutchess Day School, presently teaching second and third graders reading skills.

Emilie is a past recipient of the Eleanor Roosevelt Val-Kill Award, the Saint Cabrini Home Gold Medal Human Service Award, The Marist College President’s Award, The Family Partnership Center Award, and Family Services’ 2007 Family of the Year Award.

The Reading Barn was awarded The Best Of the Hudson Valley Award 2021 by Hudson Valley Magazine.