Have you been daydreaming about attending a literacy conference? I’ve been itching to go to one for a couple of years now, but there are so many options that I never had time to narrow down. After seeing some inspiring posts about the 10th Annual Conference of The Reading League last week, I decided to buckle down and start my research.
In this post, you’ll find the basic details about several popular science of reading conferences that are held across the country or virtually, typically on an annual basis. I included the details that will help you choose, including location, month, cost, whether CEUs are offered, and more.
Whether you need credits to update your certification, you want to stay current on the research, or you want to network with like-minded folks, literacy conferences are a great way to grow professionally and a good excuse to do a little traveling!
Some notes: This list is not exhaustive. There are numerous reading conferences every year, so I started with the ones that have sparked my interest recently. The details for each event are accurate as of October 2026, but specifics like locations and rates are likely to change from year to year. Lastly, I have noted whether certificates or CEUs are available for each conference, but acceptance of credits and certificates varies widely, depending on which licensure or certification you intend to renew. If receiving credits is important to you, please double check the details before registering.
Top Virtual Literacy Conferences
AIM 15th Annual Research to Practice Symposium
- Organization: AIM Institute for Learning & Research
- Location: Lafayette Hill, Pennsylvania
- Month: March
- Length: 1 day
- Virtual Option: Yes. You can even host a watch party!
- Cost: Free to view the virtual livestream, $161 to attend in-person
- Certificate Provided: Yes, certificate of attendance
- Recordings Provided: Yes
Why consider AIM’s Research to Practice Symposium: Past presenters include Mark Seidenberg, Hollis Scarborough, and Linnea Ehri. Listening to these folks speak, for free, would be worth your time even if the conference didn’t offer a certificate of attendance! My teacher besties, Dawn and Laura, attend the AIM Symposium almost every year.
Spotlight on Dyslexia
- Organization: Learning Ally
- Location: Virtual only
- Month: June
- Length: 2 days
- Cost: $79-$99
- Certificate Provided: Yes
- Recordings Provided: Yes
Why consider Spotlight on Dyslexia (SPOD): If you need credits to renew any type of licensure, SPOD will simplify the process significantly. The conference is live in early June, and you’ll have access to the recordings until the end of the calendar year. I like to chip away at the recordings from June through December. Whenever I have a spare hour, I watch a session. I have been using SPOD sessions to renew my 4 licenses (MA & NH state licensure, Wilson Dyslexia Practitioner, and CERI Structured Literacy Dyslexia Interventionist).
Top In-Person Literacy Conferences
While you can’t beat the convenience of a virtual science of reading conference, there’s also nothing like the energy of learning with other teachers who actually chose to be at the PD! (I promise it’s not the same feeling you get when you’re a sped teacher but you’re forced to sit through PD on the new Tier 1 progress monitoring assessment that you’re literally never going to use!)
If you’re lucky, you’ll find a conference nearby. If you have the financial means, you can make a little vacation out of it. I have included a handful of the best known conferences, but there are many more to consider. If you need to stay close to home, look up your local chapter of The Reading League. They often have smaller, but more frequent events.
Everyone Reading Illinois’ Annual Fall Conference
- Organization: Everyone Reading Illinois
- Location: Naperville, Illinois
- Month: November
- Length: 2 days
- Virtual Option: No
- Cost: Options range from $60 for workshops only to $350 for non-members to attend both days
- Certificate Provided: Yes. 12-15 hours of credits are available.
Why consider Everyone Reading Illinois’ Annual Fall Conference: Past speakers include Barbara Wilson, Dr. Maryanne Wolf, Anita Archer, Dr. Hugh Catts, Dr. Mark Seidenberg, Joan Sedita, and many, many more. Everyone Reading Illinois also offers frequent, free, virtual workshops that offer certificates of attendance. I attended a few in recent years. Given the quality of their free workshops, I believe Everyone Reading Illinois’ Annual Fall Conference would be a good investment, as well.
Illuminations Annual Breaking Barriers Conference
- Organization: Illuminations Literacy Solutions
- Location: Meridian, Mississippi
- Month: October
- Length: 2 days
- Virtual Option: No
- Cost: $250
- Certificate Provided: 8.5 ALTA CEs or 1.0 CEU from Mississippi Christian University
Why consider the Illuminations Annual Breaking Barriers Conference: With numerous breakout sessions spread over two days, you’ll find something that piques your interest. Recent session titles include Morphology Matters: Advancing Dyslexia Intervention and Content-Area Literacy, Finding Success in Adulthood with Dyslexia, and Beyond Skill Deficits: The Underrecognized Role of Anxiety in Reading Acquisition and Intervention Outcomes.
Wilson Dyslexia Conferences
Wilson Language Training regularly offers both virtual and in-person conferences. If you need credits to renew your Wilson certification, these are sure to be approved! Locations and months will vary by year, so head to their website to explore upcoming events.
Wilson’s Virtual Conference:
- Month: February
- Length: 1 day
- Cost: $69
- Certificate Provided: Yes. Participants will automatically receive Wilson Professional Learning Credits in their dashboard after the event.
- Recordings Provided: No
Wilson’s In-Person Conference:
- Location: Boston, Massachusetts
- Month: July
- Length: 2 days
- Virtual Option: No
- Cost: $569
- Certificate Provided: Yes. Participants will automatically receive Wilson Professional Learning Credits in their dashboard after the event.
Why consider a Wilson Language Training conference: Wilson Dyslexia Practitioners will be glad to know that their time spent at the conference is sure to count toward certification renewal. As a Massachusetts native, I think the conference location in the Seaport is a wonderful place to spend a long weekend. I also appreciated having the opportunity to “talk shop” with other certified practitioners.
The Reading League Conference
- Organization: The Reading League (TRL)
- Past Locations: Chicago, Illinois and Charlotte, North Carolina
- Month: September/October
- Length: 3 days
- Virtual Option: No
- Cost: $799 to $899; Discounts available for groups of 7 or more.
- Certificate Provided: Yes. Expect 12 hours of CEUs.
Why consider The Reading League’s Conference: Seeing photos from this year’s conference is what finally prompted me to sit down and write this blog! While some of the conferences I’ve highlighted here have a focus on dyslexia, The Reading League offers a broader scope of literacy topics to appeal to a wider range of attendees. Past presenters include Anita Archer, Margaret Goldberg, Elsa Cárdenas Hagan, and Stephanie Stollar. With over 60 different session offerings over the course of the conference, you are sure to walk away with new knowledge and strategies.
Plain Talk About Literacy and Learning
- Organization: The Center for Literacy and Learning
- Location: New Orleans, Louisiana
- Month: January or February
- Length: 3 days
- Virtual Option: No
- Cost: $699 to $899; Discount available for groups of 5 or more.
- Certificate Provided: Yes, certificate of attendance
Why consider Plain Talk About Literacy and Learning: Plain Talk is another mega-conference: three days of learning, numerous sessions, and well-known and respected speakers like Joan Sedita, Devin Kearns, Lindsay Kemeny, and Brennan Chandler. For a New Englander like myself, knowing that the average high temperature in New Orleans in February is 64°F to 70°F is another compelling reason to consider Plain Talk.
DyslexiaCon (IDA Reading, Literacy & Learning Conference)
- Organization: International Dyslexia Association
- Location: Varies by year
- Month: October or November
- Length: 3 days
- Virtual Option: Yes
- Cost: $400-$629; Significant discounts are available for families and students.
- Certificate Provided: Yes. Listed partner providers include ALTA, OGA, CERI, IMSLEC, and Wilson. General certificates of attendance are also provided.
Why consider IDA’s DyslexiaCon: If you’re particularly interested in dyslexia rather than a more general range of literacy topics, then the International Dyslexia Association is the perfect source for your professional learning. I looked over the conference agenda for 2026 and thought that it would be nearly impossible to narrow down which sessions I wanted to attend! Thankfully, session recordings are available for 60 days after the conference, so you can watch anything you missed once you get home.
Also of note: Families and students are offered a generous discount on DyslexiaCon registration, with prices starting at $125.
Smaller, Local Literacy Conferences: Stay Closer to Home!
Why consider a smaller, local science of reading conference: While larger conferences have the appeal of well-known speakers, bigger crowds, and the opportunity for travel, a smaller local conference has a different appeal. Lasting connections can be made with other professionals who work in your area. Private practitioners can make invaluable professional connections. And for many of us, the smaller crowd is more comfortable than the bustle of a national conference, and there’s no need to figure out the public transportation in a new city!
Not sure how to find local literacy conferences? Start with your local chapter of The Reading League (TRL). They will likely offer frequent, smaller events, but there may also be a mid-size annual conference.
The TRL chapters of New England are joining together in March 2027 to hold their first annual conference just 25 minutes from my home! While the speakers and sessions have not yet been announced, I’m happy to see a Reading League Conference being held close to home.
1st Annual New England Regional State Chapter Conference
- Organization: The Reading League
- Location: Manchester, New Hampshire
- Month: March
- Length: 1 day
- Virtual Option: No
- Cost: $275
- Certificate Provided: Not yet known
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Choosing the Right Literacy Conferences for You
Whether you’re hoping to renew a license, hear your favorite researchers speak, or finally connect with other educators who care as much about reading as you do, there’s a literacy conference out there for you. If you’re on a tight budget or short on time, a free virtual option like AIM’s Research to Practice Symposium or the recordings from Spotlight on Dyslexia make professional learning easy to fit into your schedule. If you’re craving the energy of a crowd, a mega-conference like The Reading League or Plain Talk might be worth the trip, and a local chapter event is a great way to meet fellow practitioners close to home.
