MRA Café-Coffee and Conversations
Welcome to the May updates of the Massachusetts Reading Association. MRA Café is a monthly publication that connects our members, inspires joyful collegiality, shares insights into literacy education, and celebrates success stories.
Get Caught Reading Month
Below are 8 suggested activities from nationalcalendarday.com:
Tuck magazines into your bag. Anytime you have some free time you will have something to read.
Place books for all ages in the car. Everyone will have something to read. Older children can read to those who haven't mastered the skill.
Unplug for the month. Then stop by the library and pick out the latest bestseller or classic on your reading list.
Charge up the digital reader's battery and load it up. Many classics have been made available for a small fee or no cost.
Get caught reading to children. Find a snug spot and create a routine that carries on throughout the year.
Include a book in every room in the house.
Encourage reading during stressful times as a way to distract the mind away from worries and to refocus.
Read outdoors in a park after a walk.
“Reading- that place where you are by yourself but never alone.”
Check out Every Child a Reader’s website for posters and great ideas for making “Get Caught Reading Month” exciting for you and your students. Visit at https://everychildareader.net/ .
Call for Submissions
The MRA Beacon: Journal of Literacy and Learning is seeking research or articles that highlight ways to extend literacy learning beyond the walls of the classroom and into the community at-large. The deadline to submit for the 2024 edition is August 1, 2025. See this link for more details and manuscript guidelines.
2026 MRA Conference on the Horizon
Save the date for the 55th Annual Massachusetts Reading Conference, Literacy and Learning: Connection Classrooms and Communities, to be held April 9-10, 2026, at the Boston Marriott Newton Hotel in Newton, MA.
We are excited to let you know that the 2026 Call for Session and Author Proposal Forms are available. Please submit by July 15, 2025.
MRA Community Spotlight
Celebrating educators that are making a difference in the world of literacy.
Massimo DiGirolamo
It was announced at the MRA 2025 Conference that Massimo was selected as the recipient of the Donald L. Landry Undergraduate Award.
Massimo majors in Education Studies and Psychology, while simultaneously pursuing licensure for Elementary Education at Brandeis University.
Congrats, Massimo!
On March 28th the MRA board voted in new officers during the end of conference business meeting.
Nomination Chair Mary Fischer presented the MRA 2025-2026 slate of officers:
President, Adam Brieske-Ulenski
President-Elect, Mary Wall
Vice President, Shantel Schonour
Vice President-Elect, Sue Flis
Immediate Past-President, Patricia Crain de Galarce
Upcoming Events and Programming
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Next week, May 5-9, is Educator Appreciation Week, a week to take action, to publicly advocate for full funding and respect for educators and public education, and insist that our schools and universities have what they need to help students succeed. Please visit our resources page at massteacher.org/protect to learn more about ways you can take action for public educators.
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On May 6, share your stories of great educators who inspired you, who continue to inspire you, who changed your life or who encouraged you. The NEA is collecting video statements about inspiring educators. Visit www.nea.org/taw and share a quick message
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Join the Southeast Regional Reading Council for a family event that celebrates the joy of reading and the wonders of wildlife! You can expect: engaging read a louds, coloring books, bird seed, and making your own bookmark. For more information, visit http://www.serrcreading.org/
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Join the South Shore and Cape Cod Reading Councils at the Stellwagen Beer Company on Thursday, May 22nd at 4 PM (100 Enterprise Dr., Marshfield, MA) to learn about books for all ages. You can check out the Storybook’s Pop-up Book Fair and enjoy a drink with fellow book lovers. For more information, visit https://www.capecodreading.org/books-and-brews.html
Literacy Inspirations
Get Caught Reading
Below are the top 5 books read to students during the “Get Caught Reading” Month celebration.
The Northwest Territories Literacy Council offers this reproducible guide to Get Caught Reading at home with these book ideas. https://www.nwtliteracy.ca/sites/default/files/resources/familybk.pdf
Read, Write, Think offers these ideas for celebrating in your classroom:
Plan an intergenerational reading day. Invite seniors to visit your school, or arrange a trip for your students to a local senior center. Have students select books to read to adults, and invite adults to share a favorite story with students. Extend an ongoing invitation to guest readers, perhaps on a monthly basis.
Organize a book drive to collect new or nearly new books to supplement your classroom or school library, or to donate to families or a local children's hospital.
Be sure to have a camera on hand to "catch your students reading" on film throughout the month. You can also have students organize a community "Get Caught Reading" campaign by taking photos of members of their families and community figures (firefighters, grocers, local police officers, etc.) caught reading, and creating a school display.
Thank you for your dedication to literacy. Together, we can ensure every student becomes a confident and capable reader, writer, and learner.
MRA information
The Massachusetts Reading Association is a professional non-profit organization of individuals whose primary purpose is to improve the quality and level of literacy in the state of Massachusetts. The MRA is affiliated with the International Literacy Association (ILA), a worldwide literacy organization. Our Mission The mission of the Massachusetts Reading Association is to promote literacy for all learners through professional development, research, publications, and advocacy.