2026 Oregon Early Learning Conference

---

Nell K. Duke is considered one of the nation’s foremost experts on literacy education in early childhood, or birth through age eight. Duke is Executive Director of the Center for Early Literacy and Learning Success at Stand for Children and Professor of Education and Psychology at the Marsal Family School of Education at the University of Michigan. Her career has been focused on the right to literacy, particularly the ways in which early childhood (birth through age eight) education can lay groundwork for a lifetime of literacy success. Early in her career, Duke interwove experiences teaching and pursuing degrees, eventually earning masters and doctoral degrees in human development and psychology, with a concentration in language and literacy, from the Harvard University Graduate School of Education. Her research, teaching, writing, professional development, and engagement with policymakers aim to bridge gaps between research, policy, and practice in early literacy education.

Duke’s work has been funded by the Institute of Education Sciences, the National Science Foundation, the Spencer Foundation, the Kellogg Foundation, the Heising-Simons Foundation, and the George Lucas Educational Foundation, among other organizations. Among the awards Duke has received are the International Reading Association Dissertation Award, the American Educational Research Association Early Career Award, the National Reading Conference Early Career Achievement Award, the Dina Feitelson Research Award, the Literacy Research Association P. David Pearson Scholarly Influence Award,  and the International Literacy Association’s highest honor, the William S. Gray Citation of Merit for outstanding contributions to literacy research, theory, policy, and practice. Duke is an elected member of the National Academy of Education and was elected to the Reading Hall of Fame in her first year of eligibility. Among other roles, Duke is an advisor for Molly of Denali in the PBSKIDS universe, is senior reading advisor for Amira Learning, and is Co-Director of the Great First Eight Curriculum. You can follow Duke’s work at nellkduke.org.

Barbara Steinberg’s roots are in the classroom. Year after year, she watched her 4th and 5th grade students work tirelessly to make sense of print—and began to realize that her own understanding of how literacy develops was incomplete. That realization sparked a deep pursuit of knowledge about how the brain learns to read and how to help all students become CONFIDENT and CAPABLE learners through evidence-based literacy instruction. Internationally recognized for her work in literacy education, Barbara is a sought-after keynote speaker for organizations including Learning Ally, EdWeb, and Decoding Dyslexia. She has trained thousands of educators worldwide in evidence-based reading instruction and the Science of Literacy, equipping educators with the knowledge and practical tools needed to deliver instruction with meaningful, measurable change. 

Barbara’s work is grounded in a deep understanding of how the brain learns to read and a steadfast belief that reading difficulties are not only remediable—but preventable. Through her engaging and inspirational presentations, she empowers educators to close long-standing knowledge gaps and to play a transformative role in the lives of their students. Barbara Steinberg is a trusted voice in literacy education, championing instruction that is research-aligned, meaningful, and effective.

This keynote will highlight a children’s book called “Beat the Drum” to demonstrate the power of books to center the story of every child.  This book is a bilingual (Chinuk and English) story of a Native child assigned female who challenges gender norms and limitations.  The presentation by the authors will include drumming, bilingual reading and key points about the role of children’s books in anti-bias education.