The Transformative Reading Teacher Group

For the first time in history, leadership, language and literacy are coming together to shape a new future in literacy outcomes and it's happening because of new legislation, the CLSD grant, and a massive team effort.

In this history making project we are joining together to implement evidenced for effect oral language screening tools and curriculums along side SOR aligned curricular tools and, we are measuring the impact. Yes, that means we are adding to the research base of the Science of Reading!

Wow, huh?

It’s all because of our colleague and fearless leader, Claudia Ladd and her team (shout out to Denise Fertig and both their families respectively).

Because of them, the CLSD grant exists. Because of them, 44 schools get to change the future of the Science of Reading data base and because of them, the L3 Embracing Leadership, Language and Literacy Conference happened this week, not just for grant schools but for all who wanted to lift their leadership, language and literacy lids!

Hats off to the amazing and intentional teacher leaders, superintendents, assistant superintendents, curriculum and instruction directors, principals, MTSS directors, Special Services directors, paraprofessionals, research teams, parents, library directors, and all who showed up to change the future.

We appreciate you and are honored to support this work with our esteemed colleagues and partners from AIM Institute for Learning & Research and CORE as well as our research partners from Language Dynamics Group OxEd and Assessment, Just Right Reader and Word Flight.

From Loving and Leading Large in Literacy to Language Is Everything and now Activating Genius, Big Sky has always been about cultivating ideas that transform people, classrooms, schools, and communities.

We believe powerful ideas deserve cultivation through immersion, conversation, and quiet time in community.

They also deserve a community willing to carry them forward and share them with the world. This could be you!

At Big Sky 2026, we'll explore how genius is activated on many levels:
- Language Activates Genius
- Systems Activate Genius
- Leadership Activates Genius
- Implementation Activates Genius
- You Activate the Genius in You
- Failure Activates Genius

Because the future doesn't change when we learn something new. The future changes when we think differently, act differently, and create differently together.

Will you be in the room?

Big Sky Literacy Summit 2026

There is something about standing beneath a Montana sky. The horizon stretches farther than the eye can see, reminding us that possibility often begins where certainty ends.

Big Sky Literacy Summit was built around that idea. Not simply to provide answers, but to create the conditions for discovery. Big sky is a place where we ask what is possible for our students, our schools, our communities, and ourselves.

We gather people who refuse to believe we've reached the limit of what can be achieved.

Are you joining us this year? We already cannot wait to welcome you home.
https://youtu.be/JFr8un-C9SI

Big Sky Literacy Summit - experience, the wonder, the impact... it's real! The Summit is not built to be like something you know, it's built t...

Have you been wanting to rise and do something new? This is it!
This may be for YOU! YOU! YOU!

We are truly grateful for the AVED Foundation and its mission to empower women to move forward through learning, leadership and literacy. Take a moment to see if you are the woman this scholarship is for.

Scholarships for The Big Sky Literacy Summit are here!

We love sharing the goodness of Big Sky with educators and leaders who are ready to grow, stretch, and activate their own genius at The Big Sky Literacy Summit 2026.

If you’ve been dreaming about joining us in Montana this August, and a scholarship is the little nudge of motivation to get you there… this is YOUR TIME.

This year, we are honored to offer scholarships through three generous partners:
• The Reading League Montana
(for Montana educators and leaders)
• The Transformative Reading Teacher Group
(open to anyone)
• AVED Foundation
(for one woman applicant who meets the foundation’s specific criteria)

Big Sky has always been about more than a conference. It’s a place where ideas expand, relationships deepen, and people reconnect to the reason they entered this work in the first place.

We appreciate you deeply and cannot wait to see those applications flooding in.

Link here to find out more on our landing page: https://thebigskyliteracysummit.mykajabi.com/the-big-sky-literacy-summit-2026-Activating-Genius?preview_theme_id=2164525161

A well deserved honor! We thank you Linda Farrell for being a long time mentor and voice for truth for our team.

We also look forward to more learning and growing with you!

BRAVO Linda Farrell! We love you!

The Reading League is thrilled to announce Linda Farrell as the 2026 recipient of the Benita A. Blachman Award for Advancing Evidence Into Practice.

This award honors Dr. Blachman’s pioneering contributions in the science of reading and is presented to individuals who exemplify the application of research in practice.

Linda is a founding partner at Readsters and continues to work directly with struggling readers to help keep her skills sharp. Recently, she has worked in Senegal and Niger, writing curricula and assessments for seven different languages to ensure children worldwide have the right to read.

We look forward to celebrating Linda at The Reading League Summit 2026 next week.

Amen! Multi-pronged approaches to literacy transformation are a necessity and a 25 year plan if you want to truly change a community!

By fourth grade, students transition to reading to learn, yet only about 1 in 3 U.S. students read proficiently, and those not on grade level are four times more likely to drop out of high school. Efforts like Louisiana House Bill 316 expand the science of reading–aligned supports into middle grades through assessments and targeted interventions. The Center for Literacy & Learning supports this approach to help students build on early gains and stay on track for long-term success.

Have you seen this list of GENIUSes coming to TheBig Sky Literacy Summit!? Wow!!! They are ready to raise the lid and activate genius in new and powerful ways!

This is a team of top tier genius thinkers, leaders, teachers, parents! They are all believers in a more abundant and literate future for our children. So, get ready to be wowed and inspired by how we are curating the activation of your genius so you can lead and teach and become more in 2026-27!

We cannot wait to welcome you home to Big Sky where we believe your whole world can change by entering the room where we raise the bar on how to change.

If you don't have your seat, we are almost sold out so link here for more information: https://thebigskyliteracysummit.mykajabi.com/the-big-sky-literacy-summit-2026-Activating-Genius?preview_theme_id=2164525161

It's Friday! Lucky YOU!!! I couldn't be more excited about my new hat, especially after listening to this Stanford researcher define luck!

So, are you feeling lucky about how things are turning out in your classrooms or your data?

Earlier this week I listened to this great podcast. It reminded me of where hard work and luck intersect and how YOU as teachers, leaders, and impact players are seeing the pay off as your data is coming in.

Listen to a scientist on luck define how your hard work can pay off.

Happy Friday and love
Dr. nell

https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-mel-robbins-podcast/id1646101002?i=1000762052174