Join us at Reconstructing Reading: Translating research into powerful classroom practice, an inspirational online festival where international thought leaders and experienced classroom practitioners will unpick and illuminate reading.
How can I join Reconstructing Reading?
For £25, you'll get admission for one 1 hour webinar.
For £35, you'll get admission for one 90 minute webinar
You can mix and match - sign up for as many webinars as you like!
For £100, you'll get Full Access:
- Get admission to every keynote and webinar throughout the week
- Exclusive admission to our Full Ticket Only sessions - including PhD showcases, insights from CLPE and National Literacy Trust, plus a Research into Practice lunchtime panel
- Access to our digital learning suite, with associated resources and a limited time recording of each session
- Virtual goody bag
Which ticket type is right for you?
Take a look at our full line up below.
Who's speaking at Reconstructing Reading?
Monday 17 November
- 9:30am - 11am GMT
Dr Christina Clark, Director of Research and Evaluation, and Irene Picton, Senior Research Manager, National Literacy Trust
In this opening session, we will explore insights from our ground-breaking research into children and young people's reading habits across the UK, and implications for how we teach and support this vital capability.
Exclusive to Full Ticket holders.
- 12:30pm - 1:30pm GMT
Anjali Patel, Lead Advisory Teacher, CLPE
In this lunch time webinar, Anjali will share important takeaways from the Centre for Literacy in Primary Education's impactful research into children and young people's reading.
Exclusive to Full Ticket holders.
- 4pm - 5:30pm GMT
Timothy Shanahan, Distinguished Professor Emeritus, University of Illinois at Chicago
In the first of two keynotes, Timothy Shanahan will explore Teaching reading with complex text:
Teachers have long been told to teach reading at students' "reading levels." This requires testing students’ reading levels, matching them to books at those levels, and then guiding their reading of these books in small group instruction. This presentation examines the research evidence behind this approach and suggests an alternative which emphasizes teaching with grade level texts; this approach incorporates explicit teaching of key elements such as fluency, vocabulary, syntax, cohesion, text structure and domain knowledge.
Tuesday 18 November
- 09:30am - 10:30am GMT
Dr Sinéad Harmey, Director of the International Literacy Centre, UCL Institute of Education
Dr Harmey will explore Emergent Literacy in the Early Years:
In this session, we will think about how we can best support emergent literacy through intentional and relational evidence-based instructional approaches. Central to this session is the principle that children are learning literacy from birth in different contexts and communities, and we will consider ways this knowledge can be honoured and celebrated.
- 12:30pm - 1:30pm GMT
PhD Showcase
Fresh insights from the forefront of reading research - we're thrilled to be joined by PhD researchers to showcase their work.
Exclusive to Full Ticket holders.
- 4pm - 5:30pm GMT
Dr Jan Hasbrouck PhD, consultant/researcher, JH Educational Services, and Dr Gerald Tindal PhD, Director of Behavioral Research and Teaching, University of Oregon
Dr Hasbrouck & Dr Tindal will explore Oral Reading Fluency assessments and norms:
We will explore the origins of Oral Reading Fluency (ORF), an individually administered measure of students’ oral reading and related assessments as a curriculum-based measure. While the ORF assessment is a useful tool for supporting professional decision-making, there are some common myths about how accurately it can be used in isolation to measure fluency. This presentation will address these myths, provide a rationale for a more nuanced approach to assessing and supporting reading fluency, and how this process can be supported by data.
Wednesday 19 November
- 10am - 11am GMT
Professor Victoria Murphy, Professor of Applied Linguistics and Director of the Department of Education, University of Oxford
Stay tuned for Professor Murphy's confirmed talk outline.
- 12:30pm - 1:30pm GMT
Professor Natalia I. Kucirkova, Professor of Reading and Children's Development, The Open University and University of Stavanger
Professor Kucirkova will explore From E-Books to AI Coaches:
What does it mean to support children’s reading in a world where digital technologies and AI are increasingly present in their daily lives? This presentation explores the evolving role of digital tools in fostering children’s comprehension, critical literacy, and engagement, especially as schools shift toward being digital by default.
Professor Natalia Kucirkova will share the latest insights from her research on personalization and ethical design in e-reading, emphasizing approaches that centre the child’s voice and agency. Drawing on her leadership with the International Collective of Children’s Digital Books, the session will highlight opportunities and challenges in using digital reading tools responsibly. Participants will gain an understanding of how AI-enabled platforms are reshaping reading experiences, what this means for equitable literacy development, and how educators, researchers, and designers can work together to ensure digital reading supports children’s learning and wellbeing.'
- 4pm - 5:30pm GMT
Dr Jennifer Milne & Professor Keith Topping, Education & Society, University of Dundee
Dr Milne and Professor Topping will explore Teacher use of evidence-based reading instruction and improving student teacher preparedness: What is the problem and what can we do about it?:
Despite a growing body of research on effective reading instruction, many teachers still face challenges in applying evidence-based approaches consistently. This session explores recent international and UK findings on teacher knowledge, confidence, and preparedness, and considers what this means for teacher education. Drawing on new research into a focused literacy elective for trainee teachers, the discussion will highlight where knowledge gaps often lie, how these can be addressed in practical ways, and what this might mean for preparing the next generation of educators.
Thursday 20 November
- 9:30am - 10:30am GMT
Professor Kate Cain, Professor of Language and Literacy, Department of Psychology, Lancaster University
Professor Cain will explore Making sense of reading comprehension:
Reading comprehension is a complex activity that draws on multiple skills and knowledge bases. This presentation aims to make sense of this complexity by exploring the language skills and cognitive processes that support reading for meaning, beyond decoding.
- 12:30pm - 1:30pm GMT
PhD Showcase
Fresh insights from the forefront of reading research - we're thrilled to be joined by PhD researchers to showcase their work.
Exclusive to Full Ticket holders.
- 4pm - 5pm GMT
Professor Young-Suk Grace Kim, School of Education, University of California, Irvine
Stay tuned for Professor Kim's confirmed talk outline.
Friday 21 November
- 9:30am - 10:30am GMT
Dr Geraldine Magennis-Clarke, Senior Lecturer in Education & Literacy, St. Mary's University College
Dr Magennis-Clarke will explore Seeing the wood for the trees: Children's perspectives on learning to read:
This session will consider the demands placed on primary-aged children as they negotiate their way to becoming literate and - in particular - accomplished readers. Various theoretical models will be used to examine the detail and connection between the mechanics of decoding and the different functions of the facets of language. In addition, this presentation will also explore how these elements interact with each other to bring about skilled readers. Perhaps most importantly, the talk will be situated from the child's point of view in terms of the 'big messages' they are likely to receive about what reading is and how it relates to pleasure, when going through such a complex process.
- 12:30pm - 1:30pm GMT
Research into Practice lunchtime panel
Join CLPE and National Literacy Trust for a panel discussion, reflecting on the insights from the week so far and how literacy practitioners can apply these to their practice.
Exclusive to Full Ticket holders.
- 4pm - 5pm GMT
Timothy Shanahan, Distinguished Professor Emeritus, University of Illinois at Chicago
In his closing keynote, Timothy Shanahan will explore Reading-Writing Relationships - Using Writing to Improve Reading:
This presentation explores the nature of the relationships of reading and writing. It considers three types of relationship (shared knowledge/skill, communications, and combined purpose) and their implications for classroom instruction. While writing is important and deserving of explicit teaching, the emphasis here will be on using writing to improve reading achievement.