Great Minds at Plain Talk 2026

Join us for three days of literacy learning and booth activities. Meet podcast hosts Melissa Loftus and Lori Sappington of the Melissa and Lori Love Literacy® podcast and enter our trade book raffle. 

Booth #14
March 11–13, 2026 | New Orleans, LA 

Stop by to see real books, real knowledge, and real growth come to life.

 
 
 

At a Glance

What You’ll Experience at the Booth 

Whether you’re exploring new curriculum, decodable texts, or foundational tools, Great Minds® has what every K–8 educator needs. 


At our Plain Talk booth, you can:


Preview the Great Minds language arts suite: Arts & Letters™, Wit & Wisdom™, Geodes®, and Magpie Literacy

Explore full books and see how knowledge-rich content deepens comprehension

Pick up classroom-ready resources

Enter our trade book raffle

Connect with our team of educators and specialists

Meet Melissa & Lori, hosts of Melissa & Lori Love Literacy podcast, and receive a signed copy of The Literacy 50 (while supplies last)

A large audience sits facing a speaker presenting at the front of a conference or seminar room.

Featured Event:

Melissa & Lori Love Literacy Book Signing 

Stop by the Great Minds booth to meet the hosts of the Melissa & Lori Love Literacy podcast and coauthors of The Literacy 50—A Q&A Handbook for Teachers: Real-World Answers to Questions About Reading That Keep You Up at Night.*

Signing Details:
Wednesday, March 11 | 11:35 a.m.–12:45 p.m.

*Free copies available while supplies last.

 

 

 

 

Stop by the Great Minds booth to meet the hosts of the Melissa & Lori Love Literacy podcast and coauthors of The Literacy 50—A Q&A Handbook for Teachers: Real-World Answers to Questions About Reading That Keep You Up at Night.*

Literacy Giveaway

Enter to Win Two Full-Length Trade Books + Get a Free Discussion Guide 

Enter our raffle for a chance to win Now & Ben and The Fantastic Undersea Life of Jacques Cousteau, two full-length trade books used in Great Minds language arts instruction.

When you enter, you'll also receive a free classroom-ready discussion questions guide designed to support knowledge-building and evidence-based classroom conversations.

How It Works

Step 1: Enter the raffle using the form.

Step 2: Receive a confirmation email with the free guide.

Step 3: If your name is drawn as one of our 10 winners, you’ll receive an email confirming your prize.

Trade book covers Now and Ben and The Fantastic Undersea Life of Jacques Cousteau and classroom-ready discussion guide pages

Language Arts Suite

Explore the Great Minds Language Arts Suite

Arts and Letters
 

Joyful, flexible, knowledge-rich language arts

Wit and Wisdom
 

Deep texts, authentic content, real comprehension

Geodes
 

Decodables that build knowledge, not just skills 

Magpie Literacy
 

Targeted practice that strengthens early reading skills

A teacher leans over a table to help young students as they read and write together in a classroom.

Backed by Research. Chosen by Educators.

Evidence-based. Independently reviewed. Proven in classrooms.

Three students smiling and working together at a table, pointing with colored pencils at a detailed illustrated map while taking notes in a bright classroom.

Rethink ELA Instruction
Utilizing the Research Behind the Science of Reading

Four elementary school students sitting side by side at a desk, quietly reading colorful books in a classroom.

Johns Hopkins University Analysis
How Wit & Wisdom and Geodes Help Build Knowledge

A collage of colorful children’s and classic book covers, including illustrated titles such as “The Boy Who Harnessed the Wind,” “Colorful World, Hear Then Speak,” and other picture and chapter books arranged side by side.

Great Minds ELA Design
How the Design Supports Deep Knowledge Building

Connecting research, efficacy, and classroom experience

Explore how research and evidence translate into real instructional impact across Great Minds programs.

Three students examining a framed print of a large ocean wave on a wall, with one child pointing at details in the artwork.

Arts & Letters: Research in Action
Evidence-aligned instructional practices that deepen comprehension through full books and fine art

Two Wit and Wisdom students using Story Stones

Wit & Wisdom: Research in Action
How research-based design supports knowledge-building and strong literacy outcomes in classrooms

Young girl with a white bow in her hair smiling while reading a pink book titled “Born to Fly” in a classroom, with other children blurred in the background.

From Evidence to Impact: An Efficacy Study of Geodes
Findings from New York University examining how Geodes supports differentiated, data-informed literacy instruction

Three school children on a rug in a classroom
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