Literacy Now

The International Literacy Association (ILA) has announced the next editor team to lead Reading Research Quarterly (RRQ), the leading global journal publishing multidisciplinary, peer-reviewed scholarship on literacy among learners of all ages.

Representing institutions across the United States, Central Asia, and the Asia-Pacific region, the incoming editorial team brings deep disciplinary expertise and global perspective to RRQ’s leadership:

 
• Chase Young, professor and associate director of assessments in the School of Teaching and Learning, Sam Houston State University

 
• Juan Araújo, professor and director of the School of Education, Texas Woman’s University


 
• Michelle Bedeker, associate professor and head of department, New Uzbekistan University


 
• Janet S. Gaffney, professor and director of the Marie Clay Research Centre, University of Auckland



• Bethanie C. Pletcher, professor in the Curriculum, Instruction, and Learning Sciences Department, Texas A&M University

New editors to focus on amplifying international and underrepresented voices

Dr. Young’s extensive editorial experience—including service as a reviewer, guest editor, and editorial board member—positions him to lead RRQ with a steady, discerning, and strategic vision. Together with his fellow editors, the team is unified in their vision for RRQ in an era where the field of literacy continues to evolve.

“We are energized by the opportunity to amplify international and underrepresented voices, deepen the journal’s engagement with critical and interdisciplinary perspectives, and support research that employs innovative and emerging methodologies,” the team stated. “RRQ must continue to foster scholarly dialogue that is inclusive, theoretically grounded, and methodologically rigorous—research that leaves a lasting imprint on the field.”

The team spans a wide range of research paradigms—quantitative, qualitative, and mixed methods—with demonstrated expertise in psychometrics, discourse analysis, cognitive and sociocultural theory, and cross-contextual literacy research. In addition, their shared editorial values form a unified foundation for collaborative leadership, equipping them to engage with the full spectrum of submissions to RRQ.

“We see RRQ not merely as a publication, but as a scholarly community—one that values transparency, thoughtful peer review, and intellectual courage,” the team stated. “We are dedicated to upholding the high standards that define the journal while ensuring it remains responsive to the evolving contours of literacy scholarship worldwide.”

The incoming team’s term begins this year and concludes in 2029. The first year of the new team’s term will overlap with the final year of outgoing editors Jennifer Rowsell, Christian Ehret, Natalia Kucirkova, and Cheryl McLean.

RRQ provides high-quality, classroom-tested ideas as well as reflections on literacy trends, issues and research. The reach and influence of the journal is extensive. RRQ had over 589,000 article views in the last year and has a circulation of more than 6,500 academic institutions.

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The latest issue of Reading Research Quarterly

Literacy Today magazine: Global Perspectives

Creativity is a skill that enriches all the other learning, discovery, and growth children experience in their school careers. For the fifth straight year, Crayola will bring Creativity Week to schools, libraries, homes, and community organizations around the world.  

In 2025, this free event drew more than 13 million student participants from 122 countries, and the 2026 celebration is on pace to exceed that number.

What can teachers expect from Crayola Creativity Week 2026?

As in year’s past, this celebration will feature a star-studded lineup of celebrity creators reading a featured book aloud each day of the event. Celebrities include artist and actor Kate Micucci, Property Brothers Drew and Jonathan Scott, musician and filmmaker Questlove, NASA astronauts, football/soccer greats Harry Kane and Matt Turner, actor Michael Rainey Jr., and conservationist Bindi Irwin. 


Each day, the illustrators of the featured books present creative activities so children can put their imaginations into action! From Bluey artists taking students behind the scenes of the TV show and showing children the storyboarding process, to having the opportunity to create original designs for a NASA mission patch and/or zero-gravity indicator, children can write, draw, and explore their own creative vision and interests.

Along with daily videos, the Creativity Week lineup also includes daily giveaways, an unforgettable group of sweepstakes co-sponsored by Crayola Learning and event partners, and a robust collection of instructional resources from both Crayola Learning and event partners.

Tune in to the livestream video event on Friday, January 30, at 1:00 p.m. ET.

As part of the Creativity Week lineup, a special livestream event will feature participating classrooms from around the globe, along with special guests including musicians, dancers, actors, and members of the wildly popular Savannah Bananas exhibition baseball team.

Learn more about the sweepstakes and daily giveaways.

Everyone who registers for Crayola Creativity Week also has the opportunity to enter the event’s five sweepstakes. Grand prizes include:

• 10 schools will win custom Junior Martin guitars printed with their classroom’s artwork.
• 10 elementary and middle school educators will receive an all-expenses-paid VIP trip to Florida’s Space Coast in June of 2026.
• 10 schools will win $2,500 to host financial literacy events for families, and one family will win $4,500 to establish or contribute to a 529 savings plan.
• 24 educators will win a Teachers’ Lounge makeover for their school.
• 15 educators will win a 4-day trip to a specially planned Creativity Retreat.
• Sweepstakes winners will all receive bundles of Crayola art supplies.
• Daily giveaways will include art supplies, tech, and more. Participating educators can earn extra chances to win these prizes by posting students’ artwork on social media using the hashtag #CrayolaCreativityWeek.

Here's how to plan your Creativity Week celebration.

Crayola Learning has developed two helpful planning guides, the Family Engagement Guide for Crayola Creativity Week and Beyond and Celebrate Creativity with Your Learning Community. These guides will give teachers, librarians, and principals all kinds of ideas and inspiration for involving families, and the community in Creativity Week events. 

Additionally, thinking sheets, activity sheets, family letters, supplies wish lists, and standards alignments for all the activities (available in 8+ languages) will help make planning and preparation easier for educators. There is no cost to register for Creativity Week, and no special equipment or supplies are needed for students to enjoy all the activities and events. 

Does Creativity Week make an impact in the classroom? The answer is yes!

Each year, Crayola Learning surveys participants following Creativity Week. Following the 2025 event, 80 percent of the educators and librarians who participated indicated that their students showed more curiosity, self-expression, and learning enthusiasm. What’s more, 70 percent noted that the event boosted their understanding of creativity’s importance in learning. Encouragingly, nearly 100 percent stated they were enthusiastic about participating in the 2026 event.

Registration is fast and easy. On the Crayola website, visitors will find information about the daily events, free content and resources, and FAQs. 

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No Empty Shelves: 10 Ways to Eliminate "Book Deserts" in Schools

Please RSVP: Inviting Children's Picturebooks Back Into the Classroom

The October/November/December 2025 issue of Literacy Today, ILA’s member magazine, explores the importance of literacy coaching and how it ties in with curriculum and community.

Our guest editor for this edition, Sara Gonzalez Flechas, is a founding member of GL Books and the Literacy Center. A passionate literacy coach and advocate for bilingual students, Sarah currently serves as the national academic director leading curriculum design, teacher training, and literacy implementation across public and private institutions.

“Literacy work is never done in isolation. It thrives when we learn from one another, when we take risks, and when we keep students at the center of everything we do,” she wrote in her opening note to readers.  

Read on to learn more about the issue, how Sara approached its curation, and what she hopes readers take away from it.

Tell us how you developed your vision for this issue.

My vision for this issue was shaped by what is happening right now in Colombia. Over the past few years, we’ve been intentionally positioning literacy—not traditional EFL approaches—as a powerful and evidence-based alternative for teaching English. It has been a slow but meaningful process, and every step reinforces that the strongest results emerge when we move away from methods that, after many years, have not produced the outcomes our students deserve.

For this reason, I wanted this issue to spotlight the Colombian context and the people driving these changes. I invited Claudia González and Alberto Lozano because they have been central to rethinking English teaching in Colombia and are actively advancing research-based practices. In addition, Lauren Hegarty, Diego Garzón, Mariana Ocampo Hernández, and Carolina Caipa’s work shows what is possible when schools embrace literacy and coaching as long-term commitments—small-scale transformations that can grow into national impact. Their articles reflect a continuum: From early childhood to primary and secondary school, and even, as I mentioned in my article, system-wide implementation in public education. Together, they portray a country in motion.

How did you approach selecting contributors? What important thread ties them together?

I chose contributors whose work reflects the real challenges—and real possibilities—of doing things differently in Colombia. While each author comes from a distinct context and perspective, they share a common thread: They are practitioners who are courageously reshaping English teaching through literacy and coaching.

Their collective contributions offer a full panorama of the impact literacy can have. Tatiana Charry’s article brings us into kindergarten classrooms, while John Oyuela’s piece extends to professional development and systems-level change. Each one helps build a wide-angle view of the essential work happening across levels, regions, and school types. Together, they show a unified story: Literacy matters, and it is transforming learning in Colombia.

Your opening letter mentions how essential it is that literacy work is "never done in isolation." Can you expand upon that thinking?

In Colombia, talking about literacy immediately implies collaboration, because no part of the system can shift on its own. Real change requires participation from teachers, principals, coordinators, and families—and even students themselves.

Tatiana highlights this beautifully in her article, showing how young learners thrive when teachers and families work together. Mariana and Carolina describe how implementing a reading program was only possible because coordinators, teachers, and the principal approached the process as a shared challenge and a shared responsibility. Across schools and communities, we see that literacy grows when everyone involved understands that there is an alternative way to approach English.

This is why I intentionally included voices from all sectors and all grade levels—from pre-kindergarten to professional educators. Literacy truly is collective work.

What are some of the biggest misconceptions about literacy coaching in your experience, and how does this issue address them?

One of the biggest misconceptions is that a coach is simply an observer whose role is to evaluate or judge. In Colombia, the term “literacy coach” is not commonly used in schools, and the role is often misunderstood or, in many cases, nonexistent. In my recent work in schools in El Salvador, I found the same challenge—so much so that I recommended creating the position as part of the school structure. A coach is not there to critique from the sidelines; a coach is an active partner in the learning process.

Another misconception is that coaching is limited to supporting teachers. Literacy coaching must be present in the classroom, working directly with instruction, with students, and with the school’s curricular decisions. It is hands-on, collaborative, and centered on improving practice in real time.

This issue illustrates these ideas by showing coaches and teachers working side-by-side, reflecting together, and transforming everyday classroom interactions

What do you hope readers will take away from this issue of Literacy Today, and how do you envision it sparking further conversation about literacy coaching?

I hope readers walk away with at least two things: A renewed willingness to question traditional approaches to language teaching, especially in multilingual or bilingual contexts, and a collection of practical, realistic ideas they can bring into their schools, classrooms, or teacher training programs.

I also hope this issue encourages educators to talk more openly about literacy coaching—not as an extra role or a luxury, but as a central component of instructional transformation. My wish is that readers begin asking:

• What would change if we saw literacy coaching as essential, not optional?
• How can coaching help us break long-standing patterns and move toward evidence-based teaching?
• What might English education look like if literacy were the foundation rather than an add-on?

If this issue sparks these conversations—and inspires teams to explore literacy as a path to more equitable, effective English learning—then it will have done exactly what I hoped.

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Defining and Refining Equitable Vocabulary Instruction for English Language Learners

Literacy Today magazine: Coaching Across Borders

Barbara J. Walker, a compassionate teacher and influential scholar whose lifelong devotion to literacy touched countless educators and students, died on November 12, 2025. She was 79.

Walker served as the president of the International Reading Association (IRA; now the International Literacy Association) from 2008–2009. She began her work as a reading specialist in Oklahoma before serving in various roles that reflected her belief in the global importance of literacy. 

Walker earned her PhD in Curriculum Studies at Oklahoma State University (OSU) and went on to lead the Reading Clinic at Montana State University Billings before returning to OSU as a professor of reading. Her research centered on reading difficulties, teacher development, and literacy coaching—areas in which she became widely recognized for both her expertise and compassion.

A prolific author, Walker wrote extensively on diagnostic reading instruction, literacy coaching, and effective intervention for struggling readers. To this day, her books and teaching frameworks continue to guide reading specialists and classroom teachers. She also received numerous honors for her scholarship, including the College Reading Association’s A.B. Herr Award and distinction as a Regents Distinguished Professor for Research.

As president of IRA, Walker provided steady leadership during a time of evolving literacy practices. She supported the growing recognition of modern literacies and reaffirmed IRA’s commitment to equitable reading instruction for all learners.

Walker’s legacy continues to endure in the educators she mentored, the readers whose lives she helped change, and the professional community she served with integrity and compassion. Her impact will continue to shape literacy education for years to come.

You may make a donation in Walker’s honor here.

The July/August/September 2025 issue of Literacy Today, ILA’s member magazine, underscores the importance of thinking critically in a time of increasing disinformation.

Our guest editor for this edition, Shireen Al-Adeimi, is an assistant professor of language and literacy at Michigan State University. Her research explores how dialogic discussions strengthen middle school students' literacy skills, how students and teachers engage with justice-oriented topics, and how practical tools can help educators foster meaningful, inclusive conversations in their classrooms. 

“Even amid the face of today's educational and societal pressures, it's possible to create classrooms where students are invited to think deeply, speak freely, and engage meaningfully with the world around them,” she wrote in her opening note to readers.  

Read on to learn more about the issue, how Shireen approached its curation, and what she hopes readers take away from it.

Tell us how you developed your vision for this issue. What were your goals? How did you choose your authors and topics?

In this issue, I wanted to center critical thinking both as a literacy goal and as a necessary practice for students navigating an increasingly complex world. I aimed to highlight work that connects reading, writing, and dialogue to students’ lives, their identities, and the pressing social issues around them. Across these articles, readers will find examples of how educators are supporting students’ agency, argumentation, and analytical skills. They do so through a range of practices, including student-led discussions, disciplinary translanguaging, project-based learning, metalinguistic inquiry, and the evaluation of digital texts.

I curated this issue by inviting scholars whose work I admire while trying to ensure a range of perspectives and contexts. I was especially interested in contributors whose research bridges classroom practice and equity. Together, these researchers and educators help us think more deeply about what it means to take critical thinking seriously in literacy education.

Your research focuses on enhancing students’ literacy outcomes through classroom discussion. How does that experience inform your views on fostering critical thinking?

Whether structured or spontaneous, dialogue is central to every classroom and shapes how students think and learn. My research examines how specific forms of talk—like dialogic or academically productive discussions—can support students’ engagement, comprehension, and writing. I also study how teachers and students navigate difficult but necessary justice-oriented conversations. That work has shown me that critical thinking isn’t developed in isolation. It grows through meaningful interaction and relies on recognizing students’ knowledge and agency. That’s why I wanted this issue to highlight how educators use talk to stretch students’ thinking across disciplines—from literacy to science to digital media. Dialogue becomes the bridge between what students read and what they come to understand about themselves, each other, and the world.

Your opening letter mentions how essential it is to teach literacy while honoring students’ experiences. What do you think are the most pressing considerations for educators looking to do this successfully while fostering critical thinking?

We, as educators, must recognize students’ home literacies (e.g., oral language, vocabulary, and bi/multilingualism) as rich knowledge bases, not deficits. Sometimes those experiences overlap with what’s emphasized in school, and other times they don’t. Either way, it’s our responsibility to learn about and from our students, and to make sure their knowledge and experiences help shape what happens in the classroom. Fostering critical thinking means treating students as active participants whose insights and questions matter. That also means stepping back to listen carefully and create space for students to make meaning in ways that reflect both their lives and the academic tools we offer.

What are some of the biggest misconceptions educators have about teaching critical thinking, and how does this issue of Literacy Today aim to address them?

Critical thinking is sometimes misunderstood as teaching students what to think. While there’s often no single right answer, we need to support students in learning how to think: To analyze, question, connect, critique, and imagine. Educators should also recognize that critical thinking also doesn’t just happen through explicit instruction in logic or argument, especially when it’s detached from students’ lives, cultures, and language practices.

This issue challenges those assumptions. Across these articles, authors show how critical thinking is developed through dialogue, through identity and language, through disciplinary meaning-making, and through inquiry into the world around us. Mari Zaru’s piece, “The Moon Traveled With Us,” is a reminder that critical thinking is also personal and political. It grows when students see their stories and questions as meaningful, and their language practices as worthy of classroom attention.

Your graduate advisee, Rebecca Lee, co-authored the article “Talk That Matters” with you, which discusses cultivating “a climate where every students’ voice matters” in order to support true dialogic talk. Why is this work so important to you both?

This work is deeply important to both of us because it reflects a shared commitment to creating classrooms where students are not expected to absorb information; rather, they are invited to co-construct it. Dialogic talk requires more than strategic questioning or other talk moves that invite students to express themselves in the classroom. It requires a climate of trust, mutual respect, and authentic curiosity. Rebecca and I believe that when students see their voices as valued, they are more likely to take intellectual risks, engage with their peers’ and teachers’ ideas, and grow as thinkers and communicators. This is especially vital in classrooms where students’ identities and experiences have too often been overlooked or marginalized. We view this centering of students’ voices as a matter of justice.

Mari W. Zaru’s article, “The Moon Traveled With Us,” uncovers the transformative power of “supporting students in viewing literacy as personal, cultural, and political.” Why did you find this a compelling topic to feature?

Mari’s piece powerfully demonstrates that literacy is never neutral. It is always intertwined with identity, history, and power. Her work with immigrant and refugee mothers from Palestine, Mexico, South Africa, Syria, and Bolivia shows how storytelling can bridge generations, preserve cultural memory, and center linguistic and cultural identities. As Mari writes that, “Literacy is also about memory, cultural survival, and the right to be heard.”

Freirean ideals, Mari reminds us, that to “read the word” meaningfully, students must also learn to “read the world.” Hers is a model of critical, healing, and justice-oriented literacy education that I was honored to include and feature in this issue.

What do you hope readers will take away from this issue of Literacy Today, and how do you envision it sparking further conversations about fostering critical thinking?

I hope readers walk away with a richer, more expansive understanding of what it means to support critical thinking across literacy instruction. Each article in this issue that I curated offers a unique lens:

• Jennie Baumann highlights how peer-led, text-based discussions build student agency and engagement.
• Renata Love Jones shows how metalinguistic awareness can deepen students’ critical reflection about language.
• Emily Phillips Galloway reminds us not to overlook language development as a central component of critical thinking.
• Samuel Lee’s piece illustrates how multilingual students make sense of science content through translanguaging.
• Yunfeng Ye and Wenjuan Qin explore how scaffolding argumentative writing supports higher-order thinking among EFL students.
• Sarah McGrew pushes us to move beyond surface-level reading when teaching students to evaluate online information.
• Crystal Wise demonstrates how project-based learning creates space for inquiry, analysis, and reflection.
• Mari Zaru powerfully illustrates how storytelling, particularly among immigrant mothers and their children, can serve as a personal, cultural, and political act.
• And in my own co-authored piece with Rebecca Lee, we advocate for building dialogic classrooms where every voice matters and where literacy serves justice.

Together, these pieces challenge narrow definitions of critical thinking and offer tools for cultivating it in ways that are rigorous, relational, and rooted in justice.