Summary of the 69th Annual Conference of the Literacy Research Association, December 4-7, 2019

Abstract

"Literacy Research: Illuminating the Future," was the conference theme. The theme highlighted paradigmatic, theoretical, methodological and substantive diversity that embraced a full gamut of perspectives and approaches to make sense of and advocate for literacy. Over 1,100 attendees gathered in Tampa, Florida to share and discuss the precipice of literacy research. The conference featured 346 individual research paper presentations, 65 symposia sessions, 26 alternative format sessions and 177 ongoing research roundtable presentations. For the second year, additional space was created for in-progress research conversations which provided opportunities for 26 poster presentations. The 2019 conference featured 13 research areas, 23 Study Groups, and 6 Innovative Community Groups (ICGs). Study group topics included: posthumanism, transformative activist stances, critical race theory, postsecondary literacy, Asian Americans Pacific Islanders, If I knew then what I know now, teacher education, disciplinary literacy, writing research, word studies, adult literacy, discourse analysis, and graphic novels. The purpose of ICGs is to support concentrations of interest as they relate to the promotion of research, practice, policy, justice, equity, equality, diversity, and innovations. During the 2019 conference, the following ICGs gathered: Doctoral Students, Formative Experiments & Design-Based Research, History, International, Multilingual, & Translingual Literacies as well as Reading Clinics and Literacy Labs.