Highlights from NCTE25

This past weekend, I served on two author panels during the NCTE (National Council of Teachers of English) 2025 Conference. I also had a booth in the exhibit hall, where I had the opportunity to chat with educators about decodable books and the foundational components of reading (phonological awareness, morphology, vocabulary, sentence structure, and more). More and more educators are embracing the power of Structured Literacy to create lifelong readers. 

One of the highlights of the conference was catching up with old friends and acquaintances.

The activities I presented for my two panels may be found at the links below.

During my panel for "Poetry Clubs: Reading and Writing Poetry to Promote Inclusion and Improve Writing Skills," I shared an analysis of the structure of "The Raven" along with tips for creating POE POETRY SPOOFS.  Lesley Roessing, who has a Chapter in my book Story Frames for Teaching Literacy, invited me to join the panel. Other children's authors included Jo Hackl, Landra Jennings, and Laura Shovan.

My second panel, "Threads of Possibility: Author/Educator Panel for Dream Weavers," focused on using picture books for students of all ages. I shared how to write HAIKU STORY SUMMARIES, an activity from Chapter 10 of Story Frames entitled "Poetry: Exploring the Power of Language and Story Through Verse." Other panelists included Colorado authors Beth Anderson and Jolene Gutierrez, author/illustrator Dow Phumiruk, and New Mexico author Laurel Goodluck.

The most exciting announcement at the conference was the list of 2026 Notable Children's Verse Novels. I had the chance to read Radiant by my old New Mexico friend, Vaunda Michaeux Nelson, this summer, and I highly recommend it, along with the other books on the list.

Last but not least, I just had to take the opportunity for a photo op with the Big Blue Bear outside of the Colorado Convention Center and my decodable book, Hank the Tank a chapter book about a real bear whose life was spared through DNA analysis.

In 2026, my newsletter will focus on sharing stories and activities from Story Frames for Teaching Literacy. Sign up for my newsletter HERE so you don't miss any fun freebies.