LitCon hosts literacy luminaries, experts, researchers, authors, and advocates from around the globe! Stay tuned for more exciting session announcements leading up to the event.

What does it really mean to take a scientific approach to teaching reading? According to P. David Pearson, it’s not just about phonics and foundational skills, but about balancing those essentials with the equally critical work of building meaning through language, vocabulary, background knowledge, and authentic engagement.

This keynote challenges educators and leaders to hold onto the “both/and” of literacy instruction—where systematic skill development goes hand-in-hand with meaning, cultural relevance, identity, and motivation. Teachers, principals, and policymakers alike will explore how to ensure that good intentions (“We know we have to do it all”) don’t get lost in the rush to “get the words right.”