Nancie Atwell, Anne Atwell-McLeod, Helene Coffin, Ted DeMille and Glenn Powers of Edgecomb’s Center for Teaching and Learning will be speaking at the 2013 NCTE Annual Convention in Boston.

Coffin, DeMille and Powers will present a session entitled, “New Approaches to Elementary Literacy.” They’ll share three powerful practices: how to teach primary-grade students to read using poetry; non-fiction reading and writing skills and authentic assessments; and the reading roundtable as a platform for literary discussions.

Atwell and Atwell-McLeod, in their session “Memoir: A Young Writer’s Basic Material,” will make a case for memoir as the genre that helps middle school students consider identity, distill experience, and learn from it. They’ll describe a genre study that helps young writers focus, craft, and assess stories about their lives.

Atwell will also present a session about writer’s workshop with author and teacher Linda Rief; speak at a meeting that honors the legacy of Donald Graves, pioneer of the writing process movement; and present briefly as part of the annual address of NCTE’s President on the final day of the conference.

Each year, the NCTE Annual Convention draws thousands of elementary and secondary educators, college faculty, administrators, and other educators from around the world to participate in four days of learning.

NCTE convention attendees hear presentations from award-winning speakers, attend thought-provoking sessions, share best practices, and test the latest teaching materials. The 2013 NCTE Annual Convention will be held November 21-24, at the Hynes Convention Center in Boston.