Kate Roberts

Kate Roberts is a national literacy consultant, best-selling author, and sought-after speaker who has spent her career reshaping how teachers approach reading and writing instruction. She began in the classroom teaching reading and writing in Brooklyn, NY, moved into a literacy coach role, and now dedicates her time to helping educators across the country build stronger, more student-centered literacy practices.

Books That Changed the Conversation

Kate’s latest book, The Heart of Fiction: Reading Through Character, Theme and Craft (2023), gives teachers concrete strategies for helping students engage deeply with literature through character work, thematic exploration, and craft study. Her earlier titles, including A Novel Approach, Falling in Love with Close Reading (co-authored with Christopher Lehman), and DIY Literacy (co-authored with Maggie Beattie Roberts), have become staples in classrooms nationwide, giving teachers practical tools to move away from one-size-fits-all instruction.

A Belief in Every Student

Kate’s work is grounded in the conviction that every student, given the right tools, can become an insightful, critical reader and thinker. She partners with schools and districts nationally and internationally to design literacy curricula that are both rigorous and genuinely engaging, always with an eye toward helping students see reading and writing as a way to understand their world and their place in it.

Meeting planners and event organizers looking for a keynote speaker who blends deep instructional expertise with real classroom credibility will find Kate an outstanding fit for any literacy-focused education conference.

What does Kate Roberts speak about?
Kate Roberts speaks on literacy instruction, student-centered reading and writing practices, close reading strategies, and building curricula that help students engage critically with literature. Her sessions draw on her classroom, coaching, and consulting experience to give educators practical, ready-to-use approaches.

What is Kate Roberts’ background?
Kate began her career teaching reading and writing in Brooklyn, NY, then moved into a literacy coach role before becoming a full-time national literacy consultant. She is the author or co-author of several books, including The Heart of Fiction, A Novel Approach, Falling in Love with Close Reading, and DIY Literacy, and has worked with schools and districts across the country and internationally.

Who books Kate Roberts to speak?
Meeting planners book Kate Roberts for education conferences, district-wide professional development days, and literacy-focused association events looking for a speaker who pairs deep instructional expertise with practical, classroom-tested strategies.

• Literacy
• Close Reading
• Teaching Tools
• Differentiated Writing Instruction