Keynote Speaker
Linda Hoyt , “Spotlight on Comprehension”
Linda Hoyt has had a rich array of experiences in education ranging from classroom teaching to working as a reading specialist, curriculum developer, Title I teacher, staff developer, and Title I District Coordinator. She is the author of eleven powerful professional books, four video programs, and resources for children presented by National Geographic and Rigby. Her energetic presentation style and practical strategies have made her one of the most requested literacy speakers in the United States.

Her website: www.lindahoyt.com

Keynote Luncheon Presentation
Adwoa Badoe , “Storytelling and Book Reading”
Adwoa Badoe trained as a physician in her native Ghana but has evolved quite naturally into an African griot. She is a storyteller, author, educator, and African dance instructor. She has entertained audiences young and old with her story telling at the International Reading Association’s 2007 Toronto Conference, the Toronto Story Telling Festival, the Montreal Story Telling Festival, the Eden Mills Writers Festival, the Milton Writers Festival, the International Children’s Festival of Mississauga, Hillside Festival, and other locations across North America and Africa. Adwoa’s first children’s book, Crabs for Dinner, was published in 1995. Since then she has published The Queen’s New Shoes, The Pot of Wisdom (a collection of Ananse Stories), and Nana’s Cold Days.

Her website: www.afroculture.com