Big Sky Literacy Summit 2025: A Recap
The Literacy Talks team—Stacy Hurst, Lindsay Kemeny, and Donell Pons—attended the Big Sky Literacy Summit, a gathering known for its intimate setting and advanced conversations on the science of literacy. This year’s theme, Language Is Everything, carried through every keynote, panel, and breakout session.
Cookies, Connections, and Conference Culture
One lighthearted thread of the conference was the now-famous “last cookie” story, reminding us that Big Sky is as much about connection and community as it is about research and practice. Smaller in scale than other literacy conferences, Big Sky fosters repeated, meaningful interactions among attendees and presenters.
Keynotes and Sessions That Stood Out
The hosts reflected on impactful presentations, including:
- Louisa Moats on teacher knowledge and the courage to innovate.
- Dr. Julie Van Dyke on the critical role of syntax in comprehension.
- Dr. Charles Hulme introducing his Reading is Language (RIL) Model.
- Elsa Cárdenas-Hagan on language, heritage, and the importance of honoring students’ identities.
- Dr. Bruce Perry on trauma and its impact on learning.
Powerful Takeaways for Educators
- Oral language is foundational. Comprehension begins with spoken language, not just print.
- Teacher knowledge matters. As Moats shared, educators can’t be innovators without deep knowledge.
- Language instruction must be intentional. Myths around literacy instruction were unpacked, emphasizing that explicit language teaching benefits all learners.
- Parents are partners. Several sessions highlighted the untapped potential of parent training in early language development.
Resources Mentioned at the Summit
Here are some of the tools and references highlighted during the episode:
- Cascade Reader – a free online tool for supporting syntax and comprehension (mentioned by Dr. Julie Van Dyke).
- Story Champs – oral language and narrative intervention program (Doug Petersen).
- Strive for Five Framework – strategies for meaningful language interactions.
- Scarborough’s Reading Rope – a widely used infographic to understand reading development.
- Dr. Louisa Moats – resources on teacher knowledge and the science of reading.
Looking Ahead
The Big Sky Literacy Summit left participants energized, challenged, and inspired to bring stronger language and literacy practices back to their classrooms. As one host reflected: “We’re not in competition with each other. We’re here to change the world.”
