69th MRA Conference: Full Schedule

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10:30am EST

Maximizing the Use of Decodable Texts LIMITED

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

This session focuses on using decodable texts to build fluency with phonics skills as well as how to use them to address spelling, vocabulary, comprehension, syntax, writing, and important early reading behaviors.

Speakers

Dr. Wiley Blevins

Senior Vice President, Associate Publisher, Benchmark Education Company

Wiley Blevins has a Doctorate in Education. He studied at the Harvard Graduate School of Education and Bowling Green State University. He is an author, educational consultant, and researcher, and has taught both in the United States and South America. Wiley has written over 17 books... Read More →

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

Elementary (K-5)

1:00pm EST

The Gift of Story LIMITED

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

DeVos Ballroom C

The best booktalks are those delivered from the heart. It’s the way we share our love and passion for favorite titles and books that inspires students and colleagues. Join children’s book author and librarian John Schu as he invites us to imagine the many ways books can foster connection and understanding. He’ll share some of the best new books and ways to easily incorporate them into your school reading culture to increase reading motivation, stamina, and growth.

Speakers

John Schu

Author and Children's Librarian, Bookelicious

John Schu has made a career out of advocating for the people and things he cares about most: kids, books, and the people that connect them. He was named a Library Journal Mover and Shaker for his dynamic interactions with students and his passionate adoption of new technologies... Read More →

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

Appropriate for All Levels

2:30pm EST

Rebellious Read Alouds LIMITED

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

DeVos Ballroom C

Children yearn to see themselves in our classrooms. In this session, we'll discover how our culture reveals itself in the classroom and make connections between diversity and our students using children's books. Confidently engage in conversations about cultural backgrounds and identify higher-order thinking questions to use with children's books about diversity. You'll walk away with a toolbox of specific reading, writing, and SEL strategies to help you engage young learners in conversation around diversity.

Speakers

Vera Ahiyya

Presenter, The Tutu Teacher

Vera Ahiyya (thetututeacher.com) (née Corbett) was born in Germany and raised in El Paso, TX with her wonderful mother and amazing grandparents. Originally a pre-med student, Vera realized her calling as an educator at Austin College in Sherman, TX, where she majored in History and Psychology and earned her MA in... Read More →

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

Appropriate for All Levels

10:30am EDT

Classroom Ebb and Flow LIMITED

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

DeVos Ballroom C

As literacy educators, we don't have to remind ourselves to keep breathing. But what happens when we consciously Take A Breath?

Speakers

Kelly J. Baptist

Kelly J. Baptist is the award-winning author of eight books for kids, including Isaiah Dunn Is My Hero, The Electric Slide and Kai, and the NAACP Image Award-nominated Eb & Flow. Kelly was the 2023 Gwen Frostic Award recipient. She lives and writes in Southwest Michigan, where her... Read More →

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

Appropriate for All Levels

12:30pm EDT

Just Read It: Unlocking the Magic of Independent Reading LIMITED

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

DeVos Ballroom C

Educator and author Dr. Jarred Amato will reflect on his literacy journey and reveal how he continues to refine his game plan, particularly in today’s algorithmic age, to engage and empower adolescent readers – one book and one conversation at a time.

Speakers

Dr. Jarred Amato

Founder, Project LIT Community

Dr. Jarred Amato is an award-winning English teacher, the co-founder of Project LIT Community, a grassroots literacy movement, and the author of Just Read It: Unlocking the Magic of Independent Reading in Middle and High School Classrooms. Jarred is an avid reader and writer who enjoys... Read More →

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

Middle School to Post Secondary (6-12+)