Literacy Research Conference
The MTSU Literacy Studies Ph.D. Program announces the 12th Annual MTSU Literacy Research Conference!
March 1, 2025
at the MTSU College of Education
in Murfreesboro, TN
Registration is now OPEN!
- Conference Date: Saturday, March 1, 2025
- Registration Dates: January 13 – February 13, 2025
- Conference Rate: $55.00
- Virtual option for keynote and select presentations
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—such as education, psychology, linguistics, and neuroscience—to 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.
Keynote Speaker: Kristen Wynn, Head of AIM Institute
Building a Solid Literacy Infrastructure to Improve Outcomes for All Students
Kristen Wynn is the Head of the AIM Institute for Learning and Research, where she leads efforts to advance evidence-based literacy instruction and professional development for educators. Before joining AIM, she served as the State Literacy Director for the Mississippi Department of Education. In this role, Kristen was instrumental in driving statewide literacy initiatives, including the implementation of the Mississippi Literacy-Based Promotion Act, which significantly improved reading outcomes across the state. With a deep commitment to ensuring all students have access to high-quality literacy instruction, she has a proven track record of fostering collaboration among educators, policymakers, and researchers to enhance reading education. Kristen holds a background in literacy leadership and has been a passionate advocate for the science of reading throughout her career.
Comprehension | Vocabulary | Strategy Instruction | Dyslexia | ELL | Writing | RTI | Assessment
Topics presented at past conferences:
- Literacy and writing development (across age groups)
- Comprehension instruction and assessment
- Vocabulary and writing instruction for English language learners
- Secondary vocabulary interventions
- Response to Intervention
- Neuroscience in literacy
- Morphology instruction and assessment
- Primary phonics instruction for at-risk readers
- Motivation and self-perception of middle school students
- Prosodic sensitivity and reading skills
- Mindset and self-regulation in writing instruction for young children
Interested in Pursuing a Ph.D. in Literacy? (Post-Bachelor’s Program)
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.
The Literacy Studies Ph.D. Program at Middle Tennessee State University is designed to address one of education’s most pressing needs – 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.