Margaret Smith has long been an advocate for the appropriate education for dyslexic students. She, along with many others, provided testimony in support of passage of a Texas state law (1985) deeming that public schools shall identify dyslexic students and provide appropriate education. She worked with the Texas Education Agency on a volunteer basis to help draft the original procedures concerning dyslexia and also their subsequent revisions in 1998 and 2001. She served as a member of the Texas Education Agency English Language Arts writing team for developing the Texas Essential Knowledge and Skills for English Language Arts curriculum.

Margaret’s professional career in education began as a public school classroom teacher; after many years as a regular classroom teacher, she received extensive training from the Dyslexia Child Study Unit at Texas Scottish Rite Children’s Hospital, a dyslexia research and training center known world-wide. After receiving this training, she taught dyslexic and LD students, Grades 1-12, in a public school setting. At this time there were no curriculum materials available, and Margaret began to develop curriculum materials for implementing the Scottish Rite program, then and now known as Alphabetic Phonics. The curriculum Margaret developed was subsequently published by Educators Publishing Service as Multisensory Teaching Approach (MTA) for reading and spelling.

In 1975, Scottish Rite discontinued the teacher training program, and the teacher training unit moved to Dean Learning Center, a private, non-profit organization consisting of a diagnostic unit, a Pre-K-8th school for dyslexic students, and the teacher training unit. In 1976, Aylett Cox, the director of the teacher training unit invited Margaret to join her teaching staff at the Dean Teacher Training Center. Margaret worked closely with Aylett Cox for more than 6 years until 1982. Margaret and her colleague, Edith Hogan, established EDMAR Educational Associates in the fall of 1982, with the goal of training teachers on local school sites. Since then, more than 3000 teachers have been trained by EDMAR staff .

An internationally known author and authority on dyslexia, Margaret is a frequent presenter at state, national, and international conferences on dyslexia.

2003 to date: Adjunct Instructor, SMU School of Education and Human Development, Learning Therapy Program.

1990 to 2003: Founder of MTS Publications

1982 to date: Executive Director and co-founder, EDMAR Educational Associates

1976-1982: Associate Director, Dean Teacher Training Center, Dallas, Texas

1979-1980: Assistant Adjunct Professor, Texas A&M University, Commerce, Texas

Since 1973: Presenter at local, state, national, and international levels

16 years as a public school teacher, both regular and special education

Outstanding Elementary Teacher of America, 1973

Certificate of Appreciation from Academic Language Therapy Association in recognition of ten years of leadership and support, April, 1996

Certificate of appreciation from Texas Education Agency acknowledging contributions in drafting the English Language Arts/Reading Education, Texas Essential Knowledge and Skills, December, 1996

Forney High School Hall of Honor, 1998 Distinguished Alumni Award,. Caption reads:

Margaret Taylor Smith was a 1949 Forney graduate. A leader in the field of education with expertise in the areas of dyslexia, reading, and teacher training, she created "Multisensory Teaching" programs used in many public schools. Through her efforts, many children and adults have learned to read throughout the U. S. and several foreign countries, including participants in a prison literacy program.

Multisensory Teaching Approach (MTA) for Reading, Spelling, and Handwriting.
Forney, TX: MTS Publications, 1987.

MTA is a comprehensive curriculum for teaching the structure of the English language.

Multisensory Teaching System for Reading and Spelling. Forney, TX: MTS Publications, 1994.

MTS is suitable for use as a supplementary program in K-2 grades, or tutorials for older students. MTS is the curriculum for a prison literacy program. This faith-based program, called HOPE (Helping Others Pursue Education), was founded by Lucy Smith. Lucy and her colleagues train literate offenders to teach illiterate offenders to read.

Multi-sensory Teaching System (MTS) for Reading, United Kingdom Edition, adapted by Mike Johnson, Sylvia Phillips, and Lindsay Peer. Manchester, England, 1999.

MTS has been adopted by the United Kingdom Department For Education and Employment as a suitable curriculum for UK schools for their literacy programs.

Soundations! Phonological Games and Activities: Assessment, Instruction, Practice,
Forney, TX: MTS Publications, 1996; Revised 1999

MTA Spelling Sounds Deck. Forney, TX: MTS Publications, 1998

Easing Into Cursive. Forney, TX: MTS Publications, 1999

CO-AUTHOR

MTA Alphabet and Dictionary Skills Guide. Forney, TX: MTS Publications, 1987.

MTA Procedures Booklet. Forney, TX: MTS Publications, 1987.

MTA: Teaching a Process for Comprehension and Composition. Forney, TX: MTS Publications, 1991

Dyslexia Referral and Screening Process. Forney, TX: MTS Publications, 1990, Revised 1998.