2026 Symposium on Children: Storytime With Purpose
Event speakers
Dr. Laura Justice; Dr. Lester Laminack; Dr. Becky Huang
Location
175 E 7th Ave, Columbus, OH 43201
Shared book reading between adults and children is a uniquely powerful approach for building caregiver-child relationships, the child’s love of reading and language, and important school-readiness skills. With such great attention to the science of reading, what about the science of shared book reading? Is there scientific evidence about the value of shared book reading and, if so, how might it guide us — as teachers, caregivers, librarians and others — to engage in high-quality shared book reading with children?
This year’s Symposium will convene educators, policymakers, researchers, and advocates to detail scientific evidence about adult-child shared book reading — as well as best practices for read-alouds — and how oral language experiences can support bilingual learners. As communities seek evidence-based approaches for promoting school readiness for all young children, this year’s Symposium will provide guidance on how to ensure that shared book reading investments are grounded in the current, best scientific evidence.