Speaker Engagement & Keynote Options

Sarah Gannon, M.Ed 

Director

As a classroom teacher, reading specialist, and literacy coach for the past 18 years, Mrs. Gannon specializes in practical application of strategies. 

Melissa Orkin, Ph.D

Director

Dr. Orkin is an educator and developmental psychologist who specializes in literacy, learning disabilities and achievement motivation. 

Alex Osburn, M.Ed 

Principal Consultant

Alex has worked in education for over 15 years as a special education teacher and literacy coach. Ms. Osburn has a passion for MTSS, data-informed instruction, and coaching. 

When Books Are The Stars

Building Structured Literacy Routines for Fluency from Controlled and Uncontrolled Texts

Dyslexia Instruction That's Targeted 

Reading instruction for students with dyslexia is most effective when it is precise, responsive, and grounded in evidence, not when it relies on a one-size-fits-all approach. Research now shows that dyslexia presents in distinct yet overlapping subtypes, and students benefit most when instruction is targeted to their specific patterns of strengths and needs. In this keynote, “Dyslexia Instruction That’s Targeted,” educators will explore how the Science of Reading connects assessment directly to instructional decision-making. Through case-based examples, participants will gain clarity around common dyslexia subtypes, including those with co-occurring working memory or attentional weaknesses, naming speed challenges, and double deficits. The session concludes with practical guidance on delivering explicit, systematic instruction that aligns with student profiles and maximizes reading achievement.

Breaking the Fluency Ceiling for Older Students 

Morphology-Based Instruction in Upper Elementary and Secondary School  

By third grade, reading changes—texts become longer, vocabulary becomes denser, and nearly 70% of the multisyllabic words students encounter contain prefixes and suffixes, yet many readers are never explicitly taught how these word parts work. This keynote, features the ways brief systematic instruction in morphology transforms small-group reading. Giving students reliable tools for decoding, spelling, and understanding the meaning of complex vocabulary, and immediately applying these skills to thematic nonfiction text offers a meaningful platform for fluency development. Breaking the fluency ceiling doesn’t require more practice—it requires teaching students how complex words actually work.

Maximizing Delivery 

Using High-Leverage Teaching Principles to Elevate Intervention

Effective intervention depends not only on what we teach, but how we deliver instruction in the moment. In this keynote, Maximizing Delivery: Using High-Leverage Teaching Principles to Elevate Intervention, educators will explore the pedagogical practices that make small-group instruction more powerful, efficient, and responsive. Drawing from evidence-based explicit instruction, the session highlights strategies such as clear modeling, maximizing student participation, purposeful pacing, and providing quick, corrective feedback that keeps learning on track. Educators will leave with practical, high-leverage delivery moves they can apply immediately to elevate the impact of intervention without adding time or complexity.