This feature is the first article in a series that celebrates the accomplishments of National Affiliates of the International Development in Europe Committee (IDEC) of the International Reading Association (IRA). Their member organizations’ activity reports are compiled twice a year (in January and July), and we have summarized excerpts from these reports. Visit www.literacyeurope.org for more information and a list of national websites.

Austria 

The Austrian Literacy Association’s President, Dr. Margit Böck, reports that they launched their new website this year: www.lesenundschreiben.at. They are planning a national conference on literacy on October 5 and 6, 2011 in Innsbruck with keynote speakers Franz Billmayer, Gunther Kress, and Jennifer Rowsell. The title of the conference is “Kulturen des Lesens und Schreibens. Brücken schlagen zwischen literalen Praktiken innerhalb und außerhalb von Kindergarten und Schule” which translates as “Cultures of reading and writing. Building bridges between literacy practices inside and outside of kindergarten and school.” Their projects for 2011 include membership and literacy projects as well as active cooperation with IDEC and the Federation of European Literacy Associations (FELA). 

Bulgaria 

The Bulgarian Reading Association (BulRA) is proud of their High School Exchange Program (HSE) which offers one-year study abroad programs for students in the United States and United Kindgom. Chair of the Board Lydia Dachkova  shares that they partner with partners Articulation System Stimulating Interinstitutional Student Transfer (ASSIST) in the U.S. and the Headmasters' and Headmistresses' Conference (HMC) in the U.K. The Association hosts informational meetings and discussions about living and studying abroad—the cross-cultural, multicultural, and academic issues—with parents, students, and teachers in three Bulgarian cities. They also organize reading sessions in community libraries in Sofia and American Corner, Sofia City Library, and American Council.

The Czech Republic
PhDr. Marie Ernestová, Vice President of the Czech Reading Association (CzechRA), reports that they held a half-day convention, jointly organized by the CzechRA and the Czech Dyslexia Society, in Prague on April 20, 2011. The program included Lenka Krejčová and Zuzana Pospíšilová “It´s not beyond me,”a program focusing on developing learning strategies for secondary school pupils with dyslexia. Kateřina Nevřalová presented “Project DYS2.0: supporting gaming activities for young people with dyslexia” and Jitka Topičová discussed “Little but smart: an example of good practice” about inclusive education in primary schools and kindergartens in the Karlsbad vernacular region of Sadov. Karel Šmídmajer shared facts about “Fatty acids and special learning and behavioural disorders.” The program also included recent information on implementation of the Comenia Script pilot study and an update on practical experience gained from the nation-wide project “Reading literacy development in the inclusive school environment.” In the field of research, CzechRA members have been involved with the research project “Analytical, synthetic, and genetic methods of teaching reading,” funded by the CR Grant Agency, since 2009. The study has been working with 600 six- to seven-year-olds in primary schools throughout the country and is due to be completed this autumn, with the release of a book and a series of lectures. Read more about CzechRA at www.czechra.czweb.org.