{"id":2,"date":"2024-08-14T13:52:59","date_gmt":"2024-08-14T13:52:59","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.mtsu.edu\/literacy-conference\/?page_id=2"},"modified":"2026-05-01T11:32:08","modified_gmt":"2026-05-01T11:32:08","slug":"index","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/www.mtsu.edu\/literacy-conference\/","title":{"rendered":"The MTSU Literacy Studies Ph.D. Program announces the 13th Annual MTSU Literacy Research Conference!"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<div style=\"height:32px\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"wp-block-spacer\"><\/div>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading has-text-align-center\"><strong>February 21, 2026<\/strong><br><strong>at the <a href=\"https:\/\/education.mtsu.edu\/\">MTSU College of Education <\/a><\/strong><br><strong>in Murfreesboro, TN<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<h4 class=\"wp-block-heading has-text-align-center\">Registration is now closed.<\/h4>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list is-style-compact-list\">\n<li><strong><a href=\"https:\/\/www.mtsu.edu\/literacy-conference\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/131\/2026\/02\/Literacy-Conference-Program-2026-No-QR-LR.pdf\">2026 Conference Program<\/a><\/strong><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Conference Date:  Saturday, February 21, 2026<\/strong><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Registration Dates:  October 31, 2025 &#8211; January 31, 2026<\/strong> <\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Conference Rate: $60.00<\/strong><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Time: 8:30 a.m. &#8211; 4:00 p.m.<\/strong><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Virtual option for keynote and select presentations<\/strong><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p>This conference provides an opportunity for students, scholars, and educational leaders to present their research and practices related to literacy in a supportive, collegial environment. We welcome researchers, practitioners, and literacy leaders from diverse fields\u2014such as education, psychology, linguistics, and neuroscience\u2014to attend and engage. We especially encourage presentations of original literacy research, with a particular interest in studies that bridge the gap between research and practice in education and leadership in literacy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-media-text is-stacked-on-mobile\" style=\"grid-template-columns:25% auto\"><figure class=\"wp-block-media-text__media\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"1024\" src=\"https:\/\/www.mtsu.edu\/literacy-conference\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/131\/2026\/02\/Tim-Odegard-pic-1-1024x1024.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-229 size-full\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.mtsu.edu\/literacy-conference\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/131\/2026\/02\/Tim-Odegard-pic-1-1024x1024.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/www.mtsu.edu\/literacy-conference\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/131\/2026\/02\/Tim-Odegard-pic-1-300x300.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.mtsu.edu\/literacy-conference\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/131\/2026\/02\/Tim-Odegard-pic-1-150x150.jpg 150w, https:\/\/www.mtsu.edu\/literacy-conference\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/131\/2026\/02\/Tim-Odegard-pic-1-768x768.jpg 768w, https:\/\/www.mtsu.edu\/literacy-conference\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/131\/2026\/02\/Tim-Odegard-pic-1-1536x1536.jpg 1536w, https:\/\/www.mtsu.edu\/literacy-conference\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/131\/2026\/02\/Tim-Odegard-pic-1-2048x2048.jpg 2048w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><\/figure><div class=\"wp-block-media-text__content\">\n<h4 class=\"wp-block-heading has-text-align-center\"><mark style=\"background-color:#FFFFFF\" class=\"has-inline-color has-mtsublue-color\">Keynote Speaker: Tim Odegard<\/mark><\/h4>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Tim Odegard, Ph.D.<\/strong>, is a Professor of Psychology and the Katherine Davis Murfree Chair of Excellence in Dyslexic Studies at Â鶹ÊÓƵ, where he leads the Tennessee Center for the Study and Treatment of Dyslexia. He serves as Editor-in-Chief of Annals of Dyslexia and a consulting editor for the Journal of Learning Disabilities, and he previously served as an editor at large for Perspectives on Language and Literacy. A contributing author to IDA\u2019s Knowledge and Practice Standards for Teachers of Reading, Dr. Odegard is committed to advancing literacy as a human right and supports initiatives through service leadership. His recognitions include the Innovator Award from IMSLEC, the Luke Waits Service Award from ALTA, the Massey-Sexton Dyslexia Advocacy Award from the Tennessee IDA and is an honorary lifetime member of IDA in recognition of his sustained service and commitment to IDA and individuals with dyslexia.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h5 class=\"wp-block-heading has-text-align-center\"><mark style=\"background-color:#FFFFFF\" class=\"has-inline-color has-mtsublue-color\">Lost in Translation: Using Learning Science <\/mark><br><mark style=\"background-color:#FFFFFF\" class=\"has-inline-color has-mtsublue-color\">to Update the Literacy Map<\/mark><\/h5>\n\n\n\n<p>Literacy acquisition depends on language foundations. Successful word recognition and spelling depend on rapid processing of all aspects of language that are represented in English orthography &#8212; phonology, letter sequences and orthographic conventions, morphology, word origin, and sentence context or syntax. We&#8217;ll highlight some of the differences between a speech to print approach and a more traditional print&nbsp;to speech approach to instruction, to make the case that the former is better aligned with both the logic of language and the nature of language learning itself.<\/p>\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n<h4 class=\"wp-block-heading has-text-align-center\"><br><\/h4>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-columns is-layout-flex wp-container-core-columns-is-layout-28f84493 wp-block-columns-is-layout-flex\">\n<div class=\"wp-block-column is-layout-flow wp-block-column-is-layout-flow\" style=\"flex-basis:100%\">\n<div class=\"wp-block-media-text is-stacked-on-mobile\" style=\"grid-template-columns:26% auto\"><figure class=\"wp-block-media-text__media\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"682\" src=\"https:\/\/www.mtsu.edu\/literacy-conference\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/131\/2026\/02\/DThompson_Pic-1-1024x682.png\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-214 size-full\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.mtsu.edu\/literacy-conference\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/131\/2026\/02\/DThompson_Pic-1-1024x682.png 1024w, https:\/\/www.mtsu.edu\/literacy-conference\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/131\/2026\/02\/DThompson_Pic-1-300x200.png 300w, https:\/\/www.mtsu.edu\/literacy-conference\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/131\/2026\/02\/DThompson_Pic-1-768x512.png 768w, https:\/\/www.mtsu.edu\/literacy-conference\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/131\/2026\/02\/DThompson_Pic-1-1536x1023.png 1536w, https:\/\/www.mtsu.edu\/literacy-conference\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/131\/2026\/02\/DThompson_Pic-1.png 1900w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><\/figure><div class=\"wp-block-media-text__content\">\n<h4 class=\"wp-block-heading has-text-align-center\"><mark style=\"background-color:#FFFFFF\" class=\"has-inline-color has-mtsublue-color\">Closing Keynote Speaker: Danielle &#8220;Nell&#8221; Thompson<\/mark><\/h4>\n\n\n\n<p><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Danielle \u201cNell\u201d Thompson, PhD, CCC-SLP<\/strong>, is a literacy leader with a language bias, leadership coach, and founder of The Transformative Reading Teacher Group and its high-impact Big Sky Literacy Summit. She develops educators and leaders who recognize language as the foundation of literacy and champions the paradigm shift needed to align assessment and instructional systems accordingly. A former SLP and educator whose journey spans Alaska to Mississippi, Dr. Nell brings clarity, humanity, and scientific rigor to helping schools rethink and elevate practice. Certified in Maxwell Leadership and Brendon Burchard High Performance Coaching, she is committed to building schools where people thrive and every child becomes a reader.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h5 class=\"wp-block-heading has-text-align-center\"><mark style=\"background-color:#FFFFFF\" class=\"has-inline-color has-mtsublue-color\">&nbsp;Language Is the Work: Stewarding a Course Correction in Literacy Leadership<\/mark><\/h5>\n\n\n\n<p>For decades, the literacy field has worked to correct what was missing in reading instruction. Yet in that necessary shift, something essential was too often narrowed or lost: language itself. In this closing keynote, Dr. Danielle \u201cNell\u201d Thompson honors the leadership legacy of her mentor, Louisa Moats, whose courageous work clarified language as the medium through which learning and meaning are made possible. Reframing literacy leadership as stewardship, Dr. Thompson challenges educators and leaders to move from knowing what works to doing what transforms, showing how a language-first lens can reshape daily instruction, early assessment, and systems for prevention. Because language is not adjacent to the work. Language is the work.<\/p>\n<\/div><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-text-align-center\"><\/p>\n\n\n\n<h5 class=\"wp-block-heading has-text-align-center\">Comprehension | Vocabulary | Strategy Instruction | Dyslexia | ELL | Writing | RTI | Assessment<\/h5>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Some of the topics for this year&#8217;s conference:<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list is-style-compact-list\">\n<li>Evidence-Based Literacy Instruction and the Science of Reading<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Supporting Striving Readers and Students with Dyslexia Across the Grades<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Vocabulary, Language, and Disciplinary Literacy in Content Areas<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Literacy Instruction for Multilingual and English Learners<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Assessment, Screening, and Data-Driven Literacy Decision-Making<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Teacher Preparation, Professional Learning, and Research\u2013Practice Partnerships<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Adolescent Literacy: Motivation, Fluency, and Engagement<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Innovative Approaches in Literacy Education, Including AI and Technology<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p><strong><mark style=\"background-color:#FFFFFF\" class=\"has-inline-color has-mtsublue-color\"><a href=\"http:\/\/mtsu.edu\/literacy\">Interested in Pursuing a Ph.D. in Literacy? (Post-Bachelor&#8217;s Program)<\/a><\/mark><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>We would like to invite students and practitioners who are interested in learning more about pursuing a doctoral degree in literacy. Attendees and presenters will have the opportunity to meet faculty members and students in the program.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The <strong><a href=\"https:\/\/www.mtsu.edu\/literacy\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Literacy Studies Ph.D. Program<\/a><\/strong>&nbsp;<strong>at Â鶹ÊÓƵ<\/strong> is designed to address one of education&#8217;s most pressing needs &#8211; the shortage of scholars, practitioners, administrators, and policy-makers equipped to bridge the gap between the rapidly expanding body of scientific research on the development of literacy and educational practice, policy, and professional preparation. Drawing on the faculty from the College of Education, the College of Behavioral and Health Sciences, and the College of Liberal Arts, this interdisciplinary program offers a flexible framework of courses, field experiences, teaching, and research opportunities designed to provide professionals in various spheres of influence with the essential knowledge, skills, and abilities to effectively address the literacy crisis in the United States and beyond.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading has-text-align-center\">Morphological Awareness | Motivation | Growth Mindset | Professional Development | SLD<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-text-align-center\"><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>February 21, 2026at the MTSU College of Education in Murfreesboro, TN Registration is now closed. This conference provides an opportunity for students, scholars, and educational leaders to present their research and practices related to literacy in a supportive, collegial environment. We welcome researchers, practitioners, and literacy leaders from diverse fields\u2014such as education, psychology, linguistics, and [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":8,"featured_media":0,"parent":0,"menu_order":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","template":"page-bannernosidebar.php","meta":{"footnotes":""},"class_list":["post-2","page","type-page","status-publish","hentry"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.mtsu.edu\/literacy-conference\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/2","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.mtsu.edu\/literacy-conference\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.mtsu.edu\/literacy-conference\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/page"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.mtsu.edu\/literacy-conference\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/8"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.mtsu.edu\/literacy-conference\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/www.mtsu.edu\/literacy-conference\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/2\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":239,"href":"https:\/\/www.mtsu.edu\/literacy-conference\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/2\/revisions\/239"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.mtsu.edu\/literacy-conference\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}