69th MRA Conference: Full Schedule

Add sessions to your personal schedule to register your attendance (Check-In).

10:30am EST

Maximizing Phonics Success: Practical Strategies for Multisensory Engagement and Orthographic Mapping FULL

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

River Overlook F (Devos Place - Upper Level)

Embracing multisensory approaches while teaching phonics is crucial for enhancing students' ability to orthographically map phonics concepts, supporting reading, spelling, and writing. The session aims to deepen understanding of approaches and impact on student learning. Moreover, we’ll share practical ideas that educators can seamlessly integrate into their classrooms next week

Speakers

Jen Vanderground

Faculty of Literacy Instruction, Grand Valley State University

Ellie Esman

Preservice Teacher, Grand Valley State University

Tyler Peery

Preservice Teacher

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

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

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

1:00pm EST

Building Foundational Literacy Through Interactive Writing: A Collaborative Approach LIMITED

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

Grand Gallery A (DeVos Place)

Breath in learning from shared experiences and express it through the collaborative process of Interactive Writing. This process engages students to co-create text, enhancing their phonics, vocabulary, and sentence structure skills in authentic contexts. This session provides practical, hands-on strategies aligned to empower educators with the tools to bolster foundational literacy development. Audience: PreK-2 classroom teachers, literacy coaches, administrators, special education, EL educators.

Speakers

Jill Erfourth

Elementary Literacy Consultant/Coach, Utica Community Schools

Susan Meadows

Elementary Literacy Coach, Utica Community Schools

Saturday March 8, 2025 1:00pm - 2:00pm EST
Grand Gallery A (DeVos Place)

Elementary (K-5)

Strand(s) Early Language and Literacy, Foundational Reading Skills, Foundational Writing Skills, Writing in the Content Areas, Written Expression

1:00pm EST

We Like Big Words and We Cannot Lie: Supporting Grades K-5 Students through Word Study, Decoding, and the English Language LIMITED

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

Grand Gallery E (DeVos Place)

Find success in word study! This session will highlight practices and strategies for supporting all students with their decoding and morphological awareness across kindergarten through 5th grade. Tips and tricks will be shared from Mesmer’s “Big Words for Young Readers” and Michigan’s Literacy Essentials K-3 & 4-5 documents.

Speakers

Meghan Block

Chad Waldron

Marie Berrell Endowed Professor of Literacy, Central Michigan University

Andy J. Schoenborn

Saturday March 8, 2025 1:00pm - 2:00pm EST
Grand Gallery E (DeVos Place)

Elementary (K-5) Literacy Coaching

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

1:00pm EST

Writing from Scratch: Whip Up Delicious Writing Lessons Your Students Will Eat Up! LIMITED

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

River Overlook C (DeVos Place - Upper Level)

Motivating our young writers to take creative "whisks" can be tricky at the elementary level. In this practical, you-can-do-it session, you will learn strategies for young writers to add some flavor to their writing. Through demonstrations, video clips, and oodles of ideas, you’ll be excited to go back to the classroom and try some of these writing recipes with just the right dash of fun.

Speakers

Shannon Anderson

Author, Brain Coach, Professor, Motivational Speaker, www.shannonisteaching.com

Shannon Anderson has taught for 25 years, from first grade through college level. She also served as the gifted coordinator for her school district and on the board of directors for the Indiana State Literacy Association. A highlight of her teaching career was being named one of the... Read More →

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

Elementary (K-5) Literacy Coaching

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

1:00pm EST

Unlocking the Power of Morphology for Multilingual Learners FILLING

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

Gallery Overlook C (DeVos Place - Upper Level)

Explore the critical role of morphology in literacy development and its impact on reading and writing. Learn about how multilingual learners’ languages interact to support literacy. Gain resources to foster an inclusive learning environment. Learn strategies to integrate morphology instruction into your classroom. Discover how morphology can transform your reading instruction for ALL students!

Speakers

Angela Massey

Instruction Team Specialist, Institute of Multi-Sensory Education

Ms. Rachel Eggleston

Doctoral Candidate, University of Michigan

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

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

Strand(s) Foundational Reading Skills, Foundational Writing Skills, Multilingual and Multidialectal Literacy

2:30pm EST

Turning Writing Woes into Wins: Practical Tools for Effective Writing Instruction LIMITED

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

Grand Gallery F (DeVos Place)

Explore our journey in Jenison Public Schools to address the need for explicit, systematic writing instruction. Hear how we equipped teachers with practical tools, engaging lesson plans, and professional development support. We’ll share our writing journey, celebrate successes, and inspire educators to transform writing instruction in their classrooms. Let’s unlock the joy of writing together!

Speakers

Nicole Nelson

National Curriculum Consultant, Learning A-Z

Erin Kornoely

Grade 3-6 Instructional Coach, Jenison Public Schools

Saturday March 8, 2025 2:30pm - 3:30pm EST
Grand Gallery F (DeVos Place)

Elementary (K-5) Literacy Coaching

Strand(s) Foundational Writing Skills, Literacy Coaching and Leadership, Written Expression

2:30pm EST

From the Author Toolbox - Using Mentor Texts for Reading It In and Writing It Out LIMITED

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

Gallery Overlook A (DeVos Place - Upper Level)

Help students enjoy ‘reading it in and writing it out’ by embracing their author mojo. Hear how a former classroom teacher and published picture book author uses mentor texts to mine ideas, format stories, and hone craft. Explore lessons, games, and activities that provide the space and opportunity for students to have their voices heard and to represent their own communities.

Speakers

Cindy Williams Schrauben

Author, Cindy Williams Schrauben Books

Cindy Williams Schrauben lives in west Michigan where she writes books for children that range from the truly serious to the seriously silly. When not writing or sharing her books, this award-winning author might be found dissecting her grandsons’ shenanigans for story ideas, reading... Read More →

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

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

Strand(s) Culturally Responsive Instruction, Early Language and Literacy, Foundational Writing Skills

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

Leading Change that Increases Literacy Achievement FULL

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

Gallery Overlook A (DeVos Place - Upper Level)

In this session literacy leaders will discover effective reading and writing strategies to boost literacy achievement for all students. The presenter will draw on her experience as a district leader, where literacy scores rose by 20% in four years including one year of virtual instruction. Participants will learn how they can drive improvements that enhance student outcomes in reading and writing.

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

Literacy Coaching

Strand(s) Foundational Reading Skills, Foundational Writing Skills, Literacy Coaching and Leadership

10:30am EDT

Making Mischievous Writers LIMITED

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

River Overlook C (DeVos Place - Upper Level)

In this session, we will explore a very unique writing kit that includes unorthodox writing prompts and artifacts that will inspire students to write in a way that is joyful, meaningful, and a little mischievous. The presenter will share the method behind the madness for what is a truly fun and unique writing experience.

Speakers

Jonah Lane-Moore

7th Grade English Teacher, Michigan Virtual Charter Academy

Sunday March 9, 2025 10:30am - 11:30am EDT
River Overlook C (DeVos Place - Upper Level)

Middle School to Post Secondary (6-12+)

Strand(s) Foundational Writing Skills, Social-Emotional Learning and Wellness, Written Expression

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

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

Get Off to the “Write” Start! How to Support Early Career Teachers’ Writing Instruction LIMITED

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

Grand Gallery D (DeVos Place)

This session will provide a brief overview of one Community of Practice (CoP) focused on early career teachers and effective elementary writing instruction. The bulk of the session will outline the planning approach for this CoP as well as provide work time to plan for a CoP that could be adopted by building administrators, mentor teachers, coaches, or other teacher education professionals.

Speakers

JoAnne West

Assistant Professor of Teacher Education, Saginaw Valley State University

Julie Brehmer

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

Literacy Coaching

Strand(s) Foundational Writing Skills, Literacy Coaching and Leadership, Literacy Educator Preparation, Written Expression

1:45pm EDT

Our Journey to the Science of Reading: How One School Went from Sporadic Literacy to Systematic Literacy LIMITED

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

Grand Gallery A (DeVos Place)

Through three different lenses - Literacy Coach & Interventionist, 2nd grade teacher, and 6th grade teacher - participants will get an in-depth look at how the CKLA curriculum + LETRS training + daily dedicated intervention/enrichment time has equipped our teachers to implement the Science of Reading (SoR) in PreK-8th grade classrooms.

Speakers

Strand(s) Foundational Reading Skills, Foundational Writing Skills