Thinking about Reading Promotion Transnationally.
A report on the conference “Transnational Reading Approaches in Inclusive Learning Environments (TRAIL)” at the Bildungsforum Potsdam, University of Potsdam

by Winnie-Karen Giera & Lucas Deutzmann
An Elinet Blog 

A Call for Abstracts for conference participants has been issued with publication planned for late 2026. Abstract submission has been extended until the beginning of December 2025! 
You can read the details of the Call for Abstracts HERE and/ or download the Call in PDF HERE 

The acronym TRAIL (Transnational Reading Approaches in Inclusive Learning Environments) reflects both the topic and spirit of the conference: exploring new “paths” to reading promotion in schools. Held on 17–18 September 2025 at the Potsdam Education Forum, the event gathered 65 reading researchers and education professionals (30 insite, and 35 via zoom) from ten countries (Belgium, Brazil, Denmark, Germany, England, Ghana, Italy, Austria, the USA and Cyprus). Participation was open and free of charge, which fostered broad engagement from both academia and educational practice.

TRAIL brought together two established international networks: the International Association for Research in L1 Education (ARLE) and the European Literacy Policy Network (ELINET). The conference initiator, Prof. Dr. Winnie-Karen Giera (University of Potsdam), is an active member of both networks, chair of ELINET since 2023, and coordinator of ARLE’s Special Interest Group Literacies. The conference aimed to establish a new research network focused on transnational strategies for promoting reading in inclusive classrooms for students aged 10–16.

The programme combined keynotes, group work sessions and informal exchange, making personal interaction central to the experience. Following Prof. Giera’s welcome, greetings were delivered by Dr. Britta van Kempen (Vice-President for Teaching and Studies, University of Potsdam) and Prof. Dr. Andreas Borowski (Director of the Centre for Teacher Education, ZeLB). A video message from Steffen Freiberg, Acting Minister of Education, Youth and Sport of the State of Brandenburg, emphasized the political relevance of literacy promotion. Prof. Dr. Christine Garbe (University of Cologne, retired), former ELINET chair, highlighted the network’s development and relevance for literacy research.

Across the two days, five keynote lectures provided impulses for discussion:

1. Prof. T. Mascia (University of Urbino, Italy)
   A Sociocultural Approach to Literacy: A Case Study on Nonfiction Digital Storytelling
2. Prof. J. Rowsell (University of Sheffield, GB)
   Gather Round the YouTube Fire: What YouTube Kids Can Tell Us about Promoting Reading Skills and Inclusive Pedagogies
3. Senior Researcher J. Bremholm (University of Aarhus, Denmark)
   Inclusive Literacy Instruction in Denmark: Examples from National Projects
4. Prof. J. Casteleyn (University of Antwerp, Belgium)
   Investigating Excellence in Reading and Literature Education: A Study of High-Performing Schools in Flanders
5. Prof. E. Amponsah (University of Education, Winneba, Ghana) & Prof. W.-K. Giera
   Promoting Reading with Drama – Ghanaian Perspectives

Each keynote was followed by small-group working sessions to deepen and document the findings, later discussed in plenary.

The evaluation showed that the conference successfully enabled international knowledge exchange and the development of innovative approaches to reading promotion. Participants praised the collaborative atmosphere, open discussion culture and networking opportunities. A common suggestion was to shorten keynote slots in favour of longer workshops.

Conference outcomes will appear in an open-access anthology in the “TeachInc” series published by Universitätsverlag Potsdam.

A call for abstracts for conference participants has been issued (see the attached call), with publication planned for late 2026. Abstract submission has been extended until the beginning of December 2025!