Join The Reading League Tennessee and Dr. Tim Odegard for Struggle to Strength: How Effective MTSS and Academic Support Improve Literacy and Mental Health.  Adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) don’t just affect behavior and emotional well-being—they shape a child’s ability to learn to read. At the same time, struggling to read—without proper intervention and support—becomes a source of chronic stress that reinforces negative mental health outcomes. This session examines the bidirectional relationship between adversity, literacy, and mental health, using a developmental framework that explores how social and educational experiences shape human development. Drawing on findings from epidemiological studies, we will explore how ACEs increase the risk for reading difficulties, how literacy struggles create toxic stress, and how randomized controlled studies demonstrate the protective effects of early, targeted literacy interventions within an MTSS framework. Educators will leave with a deeper appreciation of the critical role that effective instruction and intervention systems play in supporting literacy and promoting mental health.  Register Now!