The Reading League announces 9th Annual Conference in Chicago: Advancing literacy through evidence-aligned reading instruction

SYRACUSE, N.Y., June 25, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- The Reading League, a national nonprofit led by educators and reading experts who advance the knowledge and implementation of the science of reading, will hold its 9th Annual Conference from October 8 to 10 at the Hilton Chicago. Educators, researchers, and policymakers from around the globe will explore and advance evidence-aligned reading instruction.

Building on the success of the 2024 conference in Charlotte, NC, which attracted over 2,500 participants from every U.S. state and eight countries, this year's conference offers over 60 expert-led sessions.

Keynote Speakers:

• Hilderbrand Pelzer III: An award-winning educator and author, Pelzer will deliver the opening keynote address, "The Weight of Our Calling: Balancing Urgency, Empowerment, and the Connection Between Literacy and Incarceration." Pelzer will explore literacy's pivotal role in empowering students.
• David Share: Dr. Share's scientific work (over 100 publications) has appeared in a wide variety of international journals in psychology and education (attracting almost 19,000 citations). He will provide the closing keynote on the theory and scientific evidence of the self-teaching hypothesis.

"Our annual conference has emerged as a gathering place for fellow travelers – educators, advocates, state, national, and international education leaders – to advance literacy through evidence-aligned reading instruction," said Maria Murray, Ph.D., president and chief executive officer of The Reading League." We're excited to host this year's event in Chicago, with a rich history of ground-breaking educators such as Marva Collins and unwavering support from school teachers and leaders."

Conference Highlights:

• Interactive Sessions: Participants can choose from sessions tailored to their educational roles and interests, ensuring personalized learning experiences.
  
  
• Networking Opportunities: The conference provides educators, researchers, and policymakers a setting to connect and form collaborations beyond the event.
  
  
• Exhibitor Hall: Attendees can explore the latest resources and tools from organizations dedicated to the science of reading.

To register and for more information, visit: www.thereadingleague.org/conference

About The Reading League
Founded in 2015, The Reading League is a national education nonprofit based in Syracuse, N.Y., seeking to increase knowledge of evidence-aligned approaches to teaching reading and the research that shows how people learn to read. We train and support educators and school leaders, and by extension, we also serve numerous stakeholder groups. We believe that all children deserve to learn to read, and all teachers can learn to teach them. For more information, please visit thereadingleague.org.

SOURCE The Reading League