Tess M. Dussling

Tess M. Dussling serves as an Assistant Professor at St. John's University, specializing in literacy education with a focus on early childhood interventions for linguistically diverse learners.

Her academic preparation includes:

• Ph.D. in Literacy Education from Syracuse University
• M.S. in Curriculum and Instruction, Reading Education K-12 from Florida International University
• B.S. in Elementary Education and Sociology from the University of Miami

Dr. Dussling's research centers on evidence-based literacy strategies for English language learners struggling with reading acquisition, particularly examining how phoneme awareness programs and explicit alphabetic instruction function in mixed-language small-group settings. She investigates the transferability of interventions proven effective for native English speakers to young ELL populations, while simultaneously studying teacher challenges and professional development needs in multicultural classrooms. Her work bridges pedagogical theory with practical classroom implementation to address systemic literacy gaps.

Her teaching background includes undergraduate and graduate instruction in primary literacy methods at Syracuse University, where she supervised clinical tutoring and school placements. At St. John's, she continues developing early reading intervention frameworks through direct classroom implementation and research.