69th MRA Conference: Full Schedule

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10:30am EDT

Decolonizing the Bookshelf: STEM Books That Celebrate Black and Brown Brilliance LIMITED

Sunday March 9, 2025 10:30am - 11:30am EDT

We'll dig into engaging, gorgeous STEM picture books and informational books that center Black and Brown experiences. We'll explore how these books can support elementary-age learners in growing STEM identities and aspirations, as well as content area learning and literacy skills. Participants will share resources for decolonizing the bookshelf and teaching for literacy and STEM equity.

Speakers

Dr. Leah van Belle

Senior Consultant, Learning and Impact, Detroit Parent Network

Leah serves as Senior Consultant for Learning & Impact with Detroit Parent Network and is Part-Time Faculty at Eastern Michigan University. A proud Detroiter and first-generation high school graduate, her professional and community work have focused on literacy access and equity... Read More →

Sunday March 9, 2025 10:30am - 11:30am EDT
Grand Gallery B (DeVos Place)

Early Childhood (Birth-K) Elementary (K-5) Literacy Coaching

Strand(s) Culturally Responsive Instruction, Disciplinary Literacy, Diverse Literature for Children and Young Adults

10:30am EDT

Advancing Thinking through Writing Across Content Areas: Read It In, Write It Out! FILLING

Sunday March 9, 2025 10:30am - 11:30am EDT

Grand Gallery C (DeVos Place)

This session will explore effective strategies for integrating explicit writing instruction across content areas. Participants will learn to implement explicit writing lessons that foster clarity and coherence in student writing, supporting them in connecting ideas, refining their understanding, and enhancing comprehension while emphasizing foundational sentence- and paragraph-level skills. Attendees will gain a comprehensive understanding of how this structured approach enhances students' writing abilities and supports their overall academic achievement across content areas. Audience: classroom teachers 2-5, literacy coach, special education, admnistrator

Speakers

Jill Erfourth

Elementary Literacy Consultant/Coach, Utica Community Schools

Rae Cloyd

Sunday March 9, 2025 10:30am - 11:30am EDT
Grand Gallery C (DeVos Place)

Elementary (K-5)

Strand(s) Foundational Writing Skills, Writing in the Content Areas, Written Expression

10:30am EDT

Writing Inside the Room: Using the Reading Rope, Content Knowledge, and Shared Experiences to Build Strong Foundational Writing Skills in K-1 LIMITED

Sunday March 9, 2025 10:30am - 11:30am EDT

Grand Gallery A (DeVos Place)

This session will help early elementary teachers learn to simplify the process of teaching foundational writing skills by focusing on the separation of composition and transcription. The presenter will share classroom experience, strategies and resources to take writing from a stand alone subject to an integrated experience across the day.

Speakers

Nicole Cobb

Kindergarten Teacher, Almont Community Schools

Sunday March 9, 2025 10:30am - 11:30am EDT
Grand Gallery A (DeVos Place)

Elementary (K-5)

Strand(s) Foundational Reading Skills, Foundational Writing Skills, Writing in the Content Areas

10:30am EDT

Data Data Everywhere: Understanding Reading Assessments to Plan Small-Group Instruction in the Upper Grades FILLING

Sunday March 9, 2025 10:30am - 11:30am EDT

Grand Gallery D (DeVos Place)

The Essential Practices tell us that we should plan targeted small group instruction based on “children’s observed and assessed needs in specific aspects of literacy development.” Two literacy coaches will share how to efficiently gather and analyze Oral Reading Fluency data to plan effective small group instruction for students in grades 3-5.

Speakers

Jessica Crawford

District Literacy Coach, Fitzgerald Public Schools

Kristie Marks

Elementary Literacy Coach, Utica Community Schools

Sunday March 9, 2025 10:30am - 11:30am EDT
Grand Gallery D (DeVos Place)

Elementary (K-5) Literacy Coaching

Strand(s) Assessment and Evaluation

12:30pm EDT

Empowering Student Voices: Composing and Communicating in a Digital Age LIMITED

Sunday March 9, 2025 12:30pm - 1:30pm EDT

Grand Gallery D (DeVos Place)

In today’s educational landscape, digital technologies are vital for student expression and engagement. This session will explore how students can compose and communicate using digital tools while developing essential digital literacy skills. We will discuss various platforms—like blogs, video software, and social media. that foster creativity and collaboration.

Speakers

Elaina Heard

Chief Executive Officer, Watson's Way ABA

Sunday March 9, 2025 12:30pm - 1:30pm EDT
Grand Gallery D (DeVos Place)

Early Childhood (Birth-K) Elementary (K-5) Literacy Coaching

Strand(s) Assessment and Evaluation, Digital Literacy, Diverse Literature for Children and Young Adults, Written Expression

12:30pm EDT

Going Deeper with GELN’s Essential Practices in Early Literacy LIMITED

Sunday March 9, 2025 12:30pm - 1:30pm EDT

Grand Gallery A (DeVos Place)

In this session, we will explore resources and tools that support the implementation of the GELN’s Essential Instructional Practices for Early Literacy and help the practices to thrive in your school. Come engage with resources designed to take implementation to a new level.

Speakers

Heather Phelps

Early Literacy Professional Learning Coordinator, MAISA

Heather Phelps is an Early Literacy Professional Learning Coordinator at MAISA. Heather’s background includes teaching in elementary and middle school classrooms, coaching teachers in K-12 settings, and serving in multiple leadership roles at the LEA and ISD levels. A highlight... Read More →

Sunday March 9, 2025 12:30pm - 1:30pm EDT
Grand Gallery A (DeVos Place)

Elementary (K-5)

Strand(s) Early Language and Literacy, Literacy Coaching and Leadership

12:30pm EDT

Moving Past Book Trauma for Neurodivergent Readers! Learn How to Reduce the Struggle so Students Can Strive in Reading and Writing. FULL

Sunday March 9, 2025 12:30pm - 1:30pm EDT

Gallery Overlook D (Devos Place - Upper Level)

Neurodivergent readers struggle with executive functions and self-regulation which form barriers when connecting to texts. In this session, we explore how some readers gasp while breathing in the words or freeze while breathing out the appropriate marks on paper. You will learn about co-regulation and how to use our Take Back to Class accommodation guide to build their reading and writing muscles!

Speakers

Nancy Roop

Publisher, Developmental Texts, LLC

I publish early chapter books in a developmental format to support reading comprehension with sensory-friendly, early chapter books. Using dialog, nonfiction, and storytelling, the reader's path is wrapped around the topic which is real, relatable, and relevant!I promote neurodiversity... Read More →

Megan Cavanaugh

Sunday March 9, 2025 12:30pm - 1:30pm EDT
Gallery Overlook D (Devos Place - Upper Level)

Elementary (K-5)

Strand(s) Foundational Writing Skills, Language Comprehension, Social-Emotional Learning and Wellness

12:30pm EDT

Enhancing English Literacy through Content-Based Instruction and L1 Support: Strategies for Engaging Multilingual Learners LIMITED

Sunday March 9, 2025 12:30pm - 1:30pm EDT

Grand Gallery B (DeVos Place)

In a world of increasing linguistic diversity, effectively nurturing English literacy among multilingual learners, is crucial. This session will focus on two powerful strategies: employing content-based instruction (CBI) to engage students and leveraging first language (L1) literacy skills and background knowledge to support English literacy development.

Speakers

Austyn Sabin

Newcomer ESL Teacher, Kalamazoo Public Schools

Sunday March 9, 2025 12:30pm - 1:30pm EDT
Grand Gallery B (DeVos Place)

Elementary (K-5) Literacy Coaching

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

1:45pm EDT

What Does Handwriting Have to Do with Reading? FULL

Sunday March 9, 2025 1:45pm - 2:45pm EDT

Grand Gallery C (DeVos Place)

This handwriting session dives into mirror invariance (MI) and its impact on early literacy. MI allows us to recognize objects regardless of its orientation. But, this can pose challenges for distinguishing between letters that look similar, such as b, d, or p. This can make learning to read and write difficult for children. Handwriting is crucial to address MI and reading success.

Speakers

Meagan Beam

Founder, OTTER Reading

Sunday March 9, 2025 1:45pm - 2:45pm EDT
Grand Gallery C (DeVos Place)

Early Childhood (Birth-K) Elementary (K-5)

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

1:45pm EDT

25 Culturally Relevant Read-Alouds that Motivate Students into Independent Reading and Writing FILLING

Sunday March 9, 2025 1:45pm - 2:45pm EDT

River Overlook A (DeVos Place - Upper Level)

This session will highlight the most recent culturally relevant children's and adolescent literature. Participants will be engaged in interactive read-aloud, how to do them and featuring books that prepare students to write and become activists for change in their community. This will be an interactive session with audience participation and resources to bring back to the classroom and use.

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 →

Sunday March 9, 2025 1:45pm - 2:45pm EDT
River Overlook A (DeVos Place - Upper Level)

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

Strand(s) Culturally Responsive Instruction, Diverse Literature for Children and Young Adults, Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Justice (DEIJ), Early Language and Literacy, Literacy Educator Preparation, Literacy Policy for Equity and Justice, Writing for Equity a

1:45pm EDT

Curating Dynamic & Diverse Classroom Libraries that Engage Students and Encourage Reading LIMITED

Sunday March 9, 2025 1:45pm - 2:45pm EDT

Grand Gallery B (DeVos Place)

This session provides elementary school teachers with the tools and resources needed to build a classroom library that packs a powerful punch and gets kids to spend more time reading. The presenter will share evidence-based practices, tips & tricks for library management, book acquisition suggestions, and titles that interest and inspire young readers. Attendees will have the chance to win a Birdie's Book Box filled with 35 books to take home and add to their K-5 elementary classroom libraries.

Speakers

Alyce Hartman

Founder & Executive Director, Birdie's Bookmobile

Alyce Hartman is a dedicated urban educator and curriculum developer with over ten years of experience in teaching and the non-profit sector. She specializes in early language, literacy, and diverse and culturally relevant literature for children and young adults. She teaches STEAM... Read More →

Sunday March 9, 2025 1:45pm - 2:45pm EDT
Grand Gallery B (DeVos Place)

Elementary (K-5) Literacy Coaching

Strand(s) Diverse Literature for Children and Young Adults, Early Language and Literacy