Assistant Professor Sarah Fishstrom, in the UH Mānoa College of Education Department of Special Education (SPED), was invited to give the keynote address at the Successful Learning Conference 2026 in Sydney, Australia on June 30. With SPED since 2023, Fishstrom specializes in reading intervention and reading instruction. Her speech, Understanding the Fine-Grained Nuances in Anxiety–Achievement Relations, will focus on reading anxiety and the intersection of academic and social-emotional development.
“Both literacy difficulties and academic anxiety are increasingly recognized as public health concerns, and research has shown that they are related,” Fishstrom said. “Students with reading difficulties and learning disabilities often experience elevated levels of anxiety.”
Fishstrom has established an ongoing research collaboration with colleagues at the University of Sydney where she conducted a guest lecture last summer. In addition to the upcoming keynote, she was invited to present an all-day master class on inclusive reading instruction following the conference. Both presentations highlight the importance of understanding the correlation between reading achievement and anxiety, bringing it to the forefront of educational practice.
“Because academic anxiety can negatively affect learning, and students with learning difficulties may be especially vulnerable to its effects, it is important for educators to understand this relationship,” Fishstrom said. “Ultimately, the goal is to support both academic success and emotional well-being so that all students can reach their full potential.”
Keynote: Understanding the Fine-Grained Nuances in Anxiety–Achievement Relations
Academic anxiety is increasingly recognized as an important factor in students’ learning and emotional well-being. Drawing on a program of research that includes two meta-analyses and studies examining the relationship between anxiety and academic outcomes, this presentation explores how school-based academic interventions affect both academic achievement and academic anxiety among primary and secondary students.
Workshop: Inclusive Reading Instruction: Integrating High-Leverage Practices, Quality Learning Environments, and Emotional Supports
This full-day masterclass focuses on integrating explicit, high-leverage reading instruction with attention to the contextual and emotional factors that influence learning, particularly reading anxiety. The session draws on current research and classroom-based examples to help teachers strengthen literacy instruction while addressing barriers that may affect students’ reading success.
Successful Learning Conference 2026
This popular annual conference focuses on emerging practices and developments in the provision of quality education for students K–12, in particular, for students whose teachers are providing adjustments. Presenters include experienced classroom teachers, specialized consultants, community providers, and researchers, sharing evidence-based approaches that have been successfully implemented across metropolitan and rural settings in NSW, interstate, and internationally.