Each spring the Center invites parents, educators, administrators, physicians, therapists, and others interested in  literacy to attend the C.J. Davidson Memorial Lecture Series: Advances in Literacy.  This event began in 1997, when the Davidson family of Midland provided a foundational grant for teachers and others in this area an opportunity to hear nationally renowned speakers in the field of literacy.  The Lecture Series is held at the Scottish Rite Building in Lubbock.  Dr. G. Reid Lyon, Distinguished Professor of Education Policy at Southern Methodist University, nationally known for his work with the National Reading Panel and National Institutes of Health in the study of scientific based reading programs, presented at the first lecture series in 1997 and a second time at the 2010 Lecture Series.  Other guest speakers have included Dr. Jeffrey Black, Dr. Robert Brooks, Suzanne Carreker, Marcia Henry, Priscilla Vail, and Barbara Wise.  A nominal fee is charged to attend the all-day event. 

The 2023 C.J. Davidson Lecture Series speaker will be Karen Avrit, M. Ed, LDT, CALT-QI , the director of dyslexia education in the Luke Waites Center for Dyslexia & Learning Disorders at Scottish Rite for Children, the lead author of Take Flight; A Comprehensive Intervention for Students with Dyslexia, and the president of IMSLEC. Her presentation will include:

• “Working with Students in K-1 Who are At-Risk for Dyslexia”
• “What About High School Students with Dyslexia”
• “How to Address the Needs of Students with Dyslexia Identified Through Special Education”
• “The New Texas State Dyslexia Handbook”