Elementary English language arts educators are invited to attend new workshops taking place August 2 in Charlotte, North Carolina, leading into the NCTE–NCTM Joint Conference for Elementary Literacy and Mathematics.
These workshops will provide a unique professional learning opportunity to individuals, teams, departments, and schools. And, through July 15, attendees can add a workshop to their Conference registration and receive free books onsite at no extra cost.
Workshop 1: Raising Writers in the Elementary Classroom
At this limited-capacity, add-on workshop experience, elementary writing teachers will have a unique opportunity to learn directly from NCTE authors in an intimate setting. Corgill, Ray, and Villalba will share from their writings and classroom experiences while leading workshop activities that explore effective strategies for engaging the youngest writers, such as:
- Using mentor texts to teach the craft of writing
- Teaching children to communicate effectively through writing
- Launching writing practices during the first nine weeks of the school year
- Establishing routines to support growing writers
- Embedding skill work in authentic ways
- Meeting the needs of all writers, including multilingual learners
- Conferring with writers authentically
Featured Authors (Books Included with Workshop Registration)
- Ann Marie Corgill (How Do I Begin the Year with Elementary Writers)
- Katie Wood Ray (Wondrous Words: Reimagining Writers and Writing in the Elementary Classroom)
- Stella Villalba (Tell Me More: Conferring with Artists, Writers, and Storytellers)
About the Authors
Ann Marie Corgill
Ann Marie Corgill has been a classroom teacher learning alongside young readers and writers for the past 30 years. She’s taught grades 1–6 and this last year learned daily from fourth graders in Vestavia Hills, Alabama. She is a National Board Certified Teacher and the author of Of Primary Importance: What’s Essential in Teaching Young Writers. Corgill believes in children and that their voices, their passions, and their brilliance should be honored and centered in the classroom and beyond.
In How Do I Begin the Year with Elementary Writers (2026), Corgill shows readers how to launch joyful, high-quality writing instruction. Drawing on research and classroom experience, she shares strategies that create spaces where children are eager to write and supported in growing their skills. By clearly naming what must be in place—and how to make it happen—Corgill lays out a practical path toward writing classrooms that nurture confidence, craft, and lifelong writers.
Katie Wood Ray
Katie Wood Ray is a former teacher, editor, and the author or coauthor of 10 books on the teaching of writing. For many years she worked alongside teachers to develop child-centered methods for teaching writing that were grounded in the beautiful trial and error of classroom practice. Her books are filled with the stories and artifacts of children—mostly in rural Appalachia where she lives—growing into confident writers under the influence of teachers who nurtured that growth in daily writing workshops. As an editor, she helped other teacher-writers share their work in professional books and was the series editor for the dynamic Classroom Essentials series at Heinemann. She has a PhD in elementary language and literacy from the University of South Carolina (1992) and is a longtime member of NCTE.
In Wondrous Words: Reimagining Writers and Writing in the Elementary Classroom (2025), the updated edition of the 1999 classic Wondrous Words: Writers and Writing in the Elementary Classroom, Ray revisits some of her original work that has been the grounding for quality writing instruction over the past quarter-century. The world is a different place, and our classrooms have changed. But, so much of what we learned in Wondrous Words holds true today. Coauthored by elementary teacher and EL coach Stella Villalba, this book takes on new life.
Stella Villalba
Stella Villalba was raised and nurtured in a bicultural and bilingual household. Born in Argentina to parents from Paraguay, Villalba learned that being a multilingual learner is a superpower, and it’s through those lenses that she teaches, listens, and leads every day. She has taught in Dual Education schools and in English as a Second Language programs. She is an educator who loves coaching and mentoring fellow educators to be ready for a global education that is rooted in multilingualism, biliteracy, and culturally and community-sustaining pedagogy. She has a BA in foreign language teaching; an MA in language, literacy, and culture; and is pursuing a PhD degree at The Ohio State University in equity and multicultural studies. Villalba also coauthored Wondrous Words: Reimagining Writers and Writing in the Elementary Classroom with Katie Wood Ray.
In Tell Me More: Conferring with Artists, Writers, and Storytellers (2026), Villalba shows how quality writing conferences happen in the context of a community of learners. The relationships and trust teachers build make these moments joyful, authentic, and effective. Rooted in a pedagogy of listening and kidwatching, Villalba explores how artists, writers, and storytellers compose their lives through multimodal, multigenre, and multilingual expression—and how those same principles can shape meaningful writing instruction.
Workshop 2: Reading All Ways in Grades K–6
At this limited-capacity, add-on workshop experience, elementary reading teachers will have a unique opportunity to learn directly from NCTE authors in an intimate setting. Ziemke and Sibberson will share from their writings and classroom experiences while leading workshop activities that explore effective strategies for engaging and growing the youngest readers, such as:
- Harnessing the power of “both/and teaching” with books and digital tools
- Centering children when using technology
- Intentionally designing your classroom and classroom library
- Teaching with quality children’s literature
- Embedding intentional screen time into literacy learning
- Engaging with families to build a home/school connection
Featured Authors (Books Included with Workshop Registration)
- Kristin Ziemke (Text and Tech: Reading All Ways in K–8)
- Franki Sibberson (Classroom Design for Student Agency: Create Space to Empower Young Readers and Writers)
Kristin Ziemke
Kristin Ziemke is a lifelong teacher and curious learner who has worked in service to young people for more than two decades. Recognized internationally for her expertise in literacy, inquiry, and technology, she partners with educators and organizations around the world to design learning experiences that redefine school. An expert kidwatcher and active listener, Kristin centers her work on students—amplifying their voices, nurturing agency, and honoring their stories. Based in Chicago, she is a National Board Certified Teacher and the coauthor of Read the World: Rethinking Literacy for Empathy and Action, Amplify: Digital Teaching and Learning in the K–6 Classroom, and Connecting Comprehension and Technology.
In Text and Tech: Reading All Ways in K–8 (2025), Ziemke demonstrates how, in today’s rapidly evolving world, literacy is more than just reading words on a page—it’s about thinking critically, creating meaning, and engaging with a diverse range of texts and tools. Technology offers exciting opportunities for learning, yet mandates for skill practice, assessment, and data collection often overshadow its true potential. This book champions a YES, AND approach: YES to the power of print books, interactive read-alouds, and time-honored literacy practices, AND yes to digital texts, multimodal storytelling, and open-ended creative tools that amplify thinking and understanding. When students have access to both traditional and digital resources, we expand their agency, increase engagement, and empower them to develop a rich, adaptable literacy skillset.
Franki Sibberson
Franki Sibberson is a longtime classroom teacher, having taught elementary students in Dublin, Ohio, for more than 30 years. She is a former NCTE President (2018–2019) and a thought leader in literacy, with specific focus on literacy workshop, student agency, readers in grades 3–6, and digital literacy. Sibberson has coauthored numerous publications and books, including In Community with Readers, and is co-owner of OH What a Space, a play-based learning studio in Ohio. She also provides leadership and consulting to schools and nonprofits, supporting both local and national literacy initiatives.
In Classroom Design for Student Agency: Create Spaces to Empower Young Readers and Writers (2023), Sibberson shows how to set up preK–grade 6 classrooms that support student agency, independence, and choice. Classrooms should be spaces where every child feels safe to bring their whole self to school. With examples drawn from real classrooms, the authors demonstrate how to make choices in seating, materials used, books read, and more. Special attention is paid to the design of classroom libraries in which a variety of diverse, quality books anchor so much of the work in helping young readers and writers grow and learn.
To register for a workshop and #LitMath26
- Click the link to register
- Click Individual NCTE Registration
- Log into your NCTE account
- Select the workshop you wish to attend from the list within registration
- Continue to complete registration
OR
If you have already registered, please email CustomerService@ncte.org by July 15 and include which workshop you would like to attend and whether you are an NCTE or NCTM member.
Workshop attendance is required to receive books.
Register for #LitMath26