MRA Café-Coffee and Conversations
Welcome to the August updates of the Massachusetts Reading Association. MRA Café is a monthly publication that connects our members, inspires joyful collegiality, shares insights into literacy education, and celebrates success stories.
From Primer to Beacon
For over fifty years the Massachusetts Reading Association has published a practitioner publication called MRA Today and a peer review journal called The MRA Primer. At the 2024 conference opening keynote, Dr. Gholdy Muhammad shared the racist history of the first student text, The Primer. This caused us to pause on continuing to use the title of Primer as our cherished journal. Immediate past president, Pattie Kelley proposed to the board to change the name to a more humanizing, inclusive, and forward-thinking title. In hopes to interrupt historic oppression in education, research, and literacy and move towards cultivating the pursuits of identity, intellectualism, criticality, and joy the board voted on a new name: The MRA Beacon: Journal of Literacy Learning and Research. Read about the inclusive process led by our MRA publications co-chairs here.
Call for Submissions
The MRA Beacon: Journal of Literacy and Learning is seeking research or articles that tell us how you inspire your students to use language that empowers and transforms literacy learning. The deadline to submit for the 2024 edition is September 9, 2024. See this link for more details and manuscript guidelines.
2025 MRA Conference Updates
The 54th Annual Massachusetts Reading Conference, Literacy & Language: Words Empower, Inspire, and Transform will be held on March 27-28, 2025 at the Boston Marriott Newton Hotel in Newton MA. This year we are taking proposals for presentations, workshops, lighting rounds, and solutions courts. Watch Adam Brieske-Ulenski, our Conference Chair, describe the conference events, pre-conference institute, and exciting new ways to participate and present here.
MRA Community Spotlight
Celebrating educators and schools that are making a difference in the world of literacy.
Ashley Houston-King was awarded the 2024 Silvia D. Brown Scholarship for her action research project called “Black Girl Literacy in Contemporary Boston”. Read more about the annual scholarship here.
Upcoming Events and Programming
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The MRA board and members interested in joining leadership will gather at the Newton Marriot for a day of planning, celebration, and collegiality. If you are interested in a leadership role and joining the MRA board, please reach out to our president, Patricia Crain de Galarce at pcrainde.mra@gmail.com
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From Facts to Fascination: Using Nonfiction to Drive Curriculum and Enthusiasm. Enrich your knowledge of nonfiction styles and learn how to effectively incorporate engaging nonfiction from diverse writers into standards-driven writing and content area instruction. Read more.
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Please join us for teatime at Patricia’s for hot and cold tea, laughter, and fellowship.
Literacy Inspirations
Dav Pilkey shares his story in the forward Stephanie Harvey and Annie Ward’s book From Striving to Thriving: How to Grow Confident, Capable Readers (2017). https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_cOFh9IpgEg
Labels hurt his confidence but book choice and “a whole lot of love” helped him become a reader, writer, and illustrator of bestselling, world-renowned, and award-winning children’s books.
Thank you for your dedication to literacy. Together, we can ensure every student becomes a confident and capable reader, writer, and learner.
MRA information
The Massachusetts Reading Association is a professional non-profit organization of individuals whose primary purpose is to improve the quality and level of literacy in the state of Massachusetts. The MRA is affiliated with the International Literacy Association (ILA), a worldwide literacy organization. Our Mission The mission of the Massachusetts Reading Association is to promote literacy for all learners through professional development, research, publications, and advocacy.