About Melodee

Hi! My name is Melodee Lee. This is my twenty-second year in education, and I love what I do everyday! I began tutoring as a way to help bridge the gap for early readers. My tutoring has proven to help give students a boost from kindergarten through sixth grade. The Reading Tree was born from my desire to end the problem I saw with summer regression. This will be my fifteenth year with the summer reading program, and I know it will be the best one yet!

I graduated from the University of Northern Colorado with a degree in Interdisciplinary Studies, and I earned my Master’s Degree in Teaching and Learning from Regis University. I taught kindergarten and first grade for 13 years, then, after having my own two children, switched to a part-time role as literacy specialist for third through sixth grade learners before transitioning back to kindergarten through third grade learners. I am earned my second Master’s Degree in Reading with a reading specialist endorsement in December, and it has given me an intensified passion to help all readers in a more targeted way!

My current passion is learning about and supporting striving readers with characteristics of dyslexia using a systematic, explicit phonics model. Students struggling with learning to read often need a structured approach to phonics, with many repetitions, before their brains are able to recognize the patterns in our language quickly. I use a combination of UFLI, OG and Wilson in my tutoring. I use decodable text to connect the isolated skills with real-world reading, with a goal of building confidence and squashing anxiety in young readers. I always say my first goal is to get kids to fall in love with reading.

I have a true passion for reading.

Besides teaching, I love to travel and spend time in the mountains. I love to draw, paint, and write, as well. My hubby and I are over the moon with our two sweet young girls, Nora and Maya, and our goodest girl, Izzy. You'll likely find our family hiking in the hills and enjoying the sunshine. We recently moved into the Canyons neighborhood, and we love being a part of this community. The walking trails, community events, and parks are such a draw for us, as is the proximity to the East/West trail and all the yummy restaurants in Castle Rock and Lone Tree.

I pride myself in my ability to build and foster relationships with students, and my classrooms, whether traditional, 1:1 tutoring, or in the summer school setting, are so fun to be in.  We have plenty of time to read, write, and blossom into responsible citizens.  No matter which option your child is interested in, Reading Tree will leave them excited, engaged and actively involved in their learning. Thank you for sharing your little ones with me!