69th MRA Conference: Full Schedule

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10:30am EST

Author Visits: Beyond the Basics, Beyond the Books LIMITED

Saturday March 8, 2025 10:30am - 11:30am EST

River Overlook A (DeVos Place - Upper Level)

Teachers use goal setting to direct many elements of the curriculum. Why not author visits?
Authors Alice B. McGinty and Sarah Aronson share a new approach to planning and implementing school visits. This includes a checklist of social-emotional and curriculum goals which will provide the tools to give students empowering, meaningful interactions with authors, bringing reading and writing to life.

Speakers

Alice McGinty

Author, SCBWI Michigan

As the author of over 50 books for children, both fiction and nonfiction, I love to visit schools and libraries and to feel the magic that happens when connecting with young readers! With award-winning books like Bathe the Cat, Pancakes to Parathas: Breakfast Around the World, and... Read More →

Sarah Aronson

Saturday March 8, 2025 10:30am - 11:30am EST
River Overlook A (DeVos Place - Upper Level)

Appropriate for All Levels

Strand(s) Community and Family Literacy, Diverse Literature for Children and Young Adults, Literacy Educator Preparation

1:00pm EST

Growing Teachers in their Support of Multilingual Learners LIMITED

Saturday March 8, 2025 1:00pm - 2:00pm EST

River Overlook A (DeVos Place - Upper Level)

This session integrates the Literacy Essentials with research in English language development to deepen teachers' understanding and application of instruction while supporting multilingual learners and building capacity to interact with families and communities across diverse language and cultural backgrounds.

Speakers

Elizabeth Stolle

Grand Valley State University

Grand Valley State University's (GVSU) mission is to empower learners and enrich society through teaching, scholarship, equity, and public service. GVSU's vision is to prepare globally-minded citizens.

Dr. Christina M. Ponzio

Assistant Professor, Grand Valley State University

Building from my previous experiences as a secondary ELA/ESL teacher, ESL program coordinator, and literacy coach in Metro Detroit and teacher educator at Michigan State University, University of Michigan, and Wayne State University, I am committed to advancing equity, inclusion and... Read More →

Lindsay Stoetzel

Professor, Grand Valley State University

Saturday March 8, 2025 1:00pm - 2:00pm EST
River Overlook A (DeVos Place - Upper Level)

Middle School to Post Secondary (6-12+)

Strand(s) Culturally Responsive Instruction, Language Comprehension, Multilingual and Multidialectal Literacy

2:30pm EST

High-Impact Literacy Tutoring: Interventions and Strategies to Move Under-Performing Students Forward FULL

Saturday March 8, 2025 2:30pm - 3:30pm EST

River Overlook A (DeVos Place - Upper Level)

This session will report on a university partnership that entails tutors working in schools with under performing students. There will be audience participation that highlights specifically promoting love, joy and passion for reading. Further, high-impact tutoring strategies and interventions will be featured that include: Getting to know our students as the heart of differentiating tutoring.

Speakers

Margaret Policastro

Department Chair, Professor and Director of Language and Literacy, Roosevelt University

Dr. Policastro is a professor of language and literacy at Roosevelt University where she is the director of the Literacy leadership MA program and the founding director of the Summer Reading Clinic. She teachers graduate and undergraduate courses in Language and Literacy. Dr. Policastro... Read More →

Saturday March 8, 2025 2:30pm - 3:30pm EST
River Overlook A (DeVos Place - Upper Level)

Elementary (K-5) Literacy Coaching Middle School to Post Secondary (6-12+)

Strand(s) Advocacy, Early Language and Literacy, Foundational Reading Skills