The Reading League Minnesota Inaugural Conference
Reading Instruction Beyond Phonics
Date: Friday, November 6, 2026
Time: Registration starting at 8am; speakers from 9-4:30
Location: Heritage Center, 6155 Earle Brown Drive, Brooklyn Center, MN 55430
Lodging Information
Nearby Hotels:
Embassy Suites by Hilton Minneapolis North (attached to conference venue)
6300 Earle Brown Drive, Brooklyn Center, MN
Block – use code (link coming soon)
Fairfield Inn and Suites Minneapolis North
6250 Earle Browne Drive, Brooklyn Center
Featured Conference Speakers
Kay Wijekumar, PhD: Solving the Mystery of Reading Comprehension
During this session I will present the knowledge acquisition and transformation (KAT) framework for reading comprehension. The framework has achieved stellar results in Grades K-12 and adults learners. You will learn about the reasons children and adults struggle to comprehend and how the KAT steps address their needs.
Dr. Kausalai (Kay) Wijekumar is the Leader of http://Literacy.IO/, a site dedicated to achieving reading and writing success for 100% of students and adults. Her research and development have led to transformational success in reading comprehension in English and Spanish for monolingual, bilingual, special education, dyslexic, and children adversely affected by socioeconomic conditions. Her work has also transformed adult learners.
She is an esteemed researcher and scholar who holds the Houston Endowment Chair, Chancellor’s EDGES Fellow, and Director for the Center for Urban School Partnerships at Texas A&M University. She is a passionate advocate for all children, dedicating her research, development, and dissemination efforts to eradicating illiteracy. She has developed web-based intelligent tutoring systems for reading and writing in English and Spanish. Her ITSS web-based intelligent tutoring system is featured on the What Works Clearinghouse as an evidence-based system. To support the development, deployment, and research of these evidence-based practices in schools, she has secured over 90 million dollars in competitive grant funding from national agencies. Her work has been featured in the What Works Clearinghouse, Johns Hopkins University, and US News and World Report. She has served two terms as an elected member of the Quaker Valley Board of School Directors in Pennsylvania. Her recent work brings evidence-based reading instruction to families with the ACE podcasts.
Matt Burns, PhD: Fluency Beyond Third Grade
Dr. Matthew K. Burns is a prolific researcher (e.g., published over 200 articles and book chapters and 15 books), but is dedicated to positively influencing practice in K-12 schools and mentoring the next generation of thought leaders in education. As one of the leading researchers regarding the use of assessment data to determine individual or small-group interventions, Dr. Burns works closely with schools to study and implement multitiered systems of support, intensive reading and math interventions, school-based teams, and generally supporting students with and without disabilities whose needs are not being met. He is a Past Editor of School Psychology Review and Assessment for Effective Intervention. Dr. Burns was also a first-generation college student who was born in Flint, Michigan and served on the faculty of the University of Missouri for 9 years, University of Minnesota for 10 years and Central Michigan University for 5 years.
Brennan Chandler, PhD: Beyond Phonics: Supporting Multisyllabic Word Reading Through Morphology and Spelling
This session focuses on advanced word-level literacy skills that support multisyllabic word reading. While explicit and systematic phonics instruction is essential in the early elementary grades, it is often not sufficient once students encounter longer, more complex words. In this session, participants will learn practical, classroom-ready routines grounded in research that address lingering gaps in phonics and spelling and strengthen students’ ability to read and spell multisyllabic words to support their overall reading proficency.
Brennan Chandler, PhD, is an assistant professor of dyslexia at Georgia State University. His research focuses on developing and testing interventions for students with dyslexia, with particular attention to how spelling and writing instruction can be leveraged to improve literacy outcomes at scale. A former classroom and special education teacher, Dr. Chandler is deeply committed to bridging research and practice to support students with persistent literacy difficulties. He regularly partners with educators, schools, and districts to translate evidence into meaningful, lasting change.
