2026 Language First Conference

from $180.00

The 2026 Language First conference will be in-person at the Crowne Plaza Knoxville Downtown in Knoxville, TN on April 14-16, 2026. It will be from 11:30 am - 4:00 pm on Tuesday, April 14, and 8:00 am - 4:30 pm on Wednesday, April 15 and Thursday, April 16.

See the full schedule and session descriptions here.

ADVERTISEMENT & SPONSORSHIP

Want to exhibit in-person or advertise your business in our conference booklet? Or perhaps you’d like to support us by becoming a conference sponsor? Find out more here.

GROUP DISCOUNTS

Does your school have a group of professionals who would like to attend the conference together? Take a look at our group discounts. Email info@language1st.org for more information.

GETTING THERE

We recommend flying into McGhee Tyson Airport (TYS).

SCHEDULE AT-A-GLANCE

Tuesday, April 14

8-11:30 | Registration check-in and vendor set-up

11:30-12:30 | Leah Geer, American Sign Language Articulation Test (ASL-AT) training

1-4 pm | Kimberly Wolbers, Strategic and Interactive Writing Instruction (SIWI) training

Wednesday, April 15

8:15-9:15 | Leala Holcomb, Applying Evidence-Based Instructional Strategies to ASL/English Literacy Instruction

9:30-10:30 | Bobbie Jo Kite & Christi Batamula, The FLP Tool: Strategies for Multilingual Language Use in Families with D/HH Children

11-12 | Cara Barnett, Examining Signed Language Challenges of Early and Late Exposed ASL Signing Deaf Children

12-2 | Lunch 

2-3 | Leah Geer & Razi Zarchy, Breaking Barriers and Building Skills: Family ASL Classes on Campus

3:15-4:15 | Deb Cates & Stacey Morgan, Deaf Language Coach: A Novel Intervention for Supporting ASL Acquisition

4:15-4:30 | Closing, giveaways

Thursday, April 16

8:15-9:15 | Cecily Whitworth & Caitlin Stueve, Best Practice Anywhere: Remote Coaching for Deaf/HH Families

9:30-10:30 | Kandice Hunt & Steve Farmer, Felt-Safety: The Foundation for Language Development

11-12 | Janaee Cobbs, Navigating Intersectionality: Bilingual Education for Deaf Students in Diverse Classrooms

12-2 | Lunch

2-3 | Elizabeth Martinez, Deaf Adults Learning ASL Later in Life: Implications for Early Language Foundations

3:15-4:15 | Judi Ann Pate & John McMahon, Signacy Before Literacy: Building Bilingual Foundations

4:15-4:30 | Closing, giveaways

This is a digital purchase only; no physical ticket is provided. A form will populate for you to complete your registration and then your purchase will be added to your cart in the upper right-hand corner of the screen. Please email info@language1st.org with any questions.

Day(s):

The 2026 Language First conference will be in-person at the Crowne Plaza Knoxville Downtown in Knoxville, TN on April 14-16, 2026. It will be from 11:30 am - 4:00 pm on Tuesday, April 14, and 8:00 am - 4:30 pm on Wednesday, April 15 and Thursday, April 16.

See the full schedule and session descriptions here.

ADVERTISEMENT & SPONSORSHIP

Want to exhibit in-person or advertise your business in our conference booklet? Or perhaps you’d like to support us by becoming a conference sponsor? Find out more here.

GROUP DISCOUNTS

Does your school have a group of professionals who would like to attend the conference together? Take a look at our group discounts. Email info@language1st.org for more information.

GETTING THERE

We recommend flying into McGhee Tyson Airport (TYS).

SCHEDULE AT-A-GLANCE

Tuesday, April 14

8-11:30 | Registration check-in and vendor set-up

11:30-12:30 | Leah Geer, American Sign Language Articulation Test (ASL-AT) training

1-4 pm | Kimberly Wolbers, Strategic and Interactive Writing Instruction (SIWI) training

Wednesday, April 15

8:15-9:15 | Leala Holcomb, Applying Evidence-Based Instructional Strategies to ASL/English Literacy Instruction

9:30-10:30 | Bobbie Jo Kite & Christi Batamula, The FLP Tool: Strategies for Multilingual Language Use in Families with D/HH Children

11-12 | Cara Barnett, Examining Signed Language Challenges of Early and Late Exposed ASL Signing Deaf Children

12-2 | Lunch 

2-3 | Leah Geer & Razi Zarchy, Breaking Barriers and Building Skills: Family ASL Classes on Campus

3:15-4:15 | Deb Cates & Stacey Morgan, Deaf Language Coach: A Novel Intervention for Supporting ASL Acquisition

4:15-4:30 | Closing, giveaways

Thursday, April 16

8:15-9:15 | Cecily Whitworth & Caitlin Stueve, Best Practice Anywhere: Remote Coaching for Deaf/HH Families

9:30-10:30 | Kandice Hunt & Steve Farmer, Felt-Safety: The Foundation for Language Development

11-12 | Janaee Cobbs, Navigating Intersectionality: Bilingual Education for Deaf Students in Diverse Classrooms

12-2 | Lunch

2-3 | Elizabeth Martinez, Deaf Adults Learning ASL Later in Life: Implications for Early Language Foundations

3:15-4:15 | Judi Ann Pate & John McMahon, Signacy Before Literacy: Building Bilingual Foundations

4:15-4:30 | Closing, giveaways

This is a digital purchase only; no physical ticket is provided. A form will populate for you to complete your registration and then your purchase will be added to your cart in the upper right-hand corner of the screen. Please email info@language1st.org with any questions.

Continuing Education:

This conference is offered for 1.4 ASHA CEUs and 1.4 RID CEUs. Only participants who attend the live event will receive a certificate of attendance. Participants who attend the entire webinar and fill out the self assessment form will be considered eligible to earn ASHA CEUs.

MassRID is an approved continuing education activity sponsor, and this event is being offered at 1.4 Professional Studies CEUs at the "some previous knowledge" content level.  Attendance during the entire workshop is required for earning CEUs. A certificate is provided to those who request CEUs via the given link to a Google Forms document.

Accommodations:

This event will have ASL-English interpreters throughout. Please email info@language1st.org with requests for additional accommodations at least 21 days prior to the event.

Cancellation/Refund Policy:

Full refunds are available up to 21 days prior to the event. No refunds are available after that time. If Language First cancels or moves an event, all participants will be given the options of a.) receiving a full refund; b.) applying the amount paid to another event; c.) transferring their registration to the new date. If a registrant has a complaint or is unsatisfied with a webinar or event, please email info@language1st.org with “complaint” in the subject line.