Literacy Now

On Saturday, October 12, Dr. Jack Cassidy, received the Lifetime Achievement Award in Literacy Education at the annual conference of the Texas Association for Literacy Education (TALE). Also, the TALE Board voted to name the award in his honor. The award will now be called the “Jack Cassidy Lifetime Achievement in Literacy Education Award.”

Cassidy was one of the founders and the first President of TALE in 2011-2012. Texas is the second largest state in land area, and coincidentally Cassidy is one of the founders and first elected President of the Diamond State Reading Association (DSRA) in Delaware, the nation’s second smallest state in land area.

In the almost forty years between his first and second state presidencies, Cassidy was elected president of the International Reading Association and the Association for Literacy Education and Research (ALER - formerly the College Reading Association). In 1994, he received the IRA Special Service Award, which is given, from time to time, for unusual and distinguished service to the International Reading Association recognizing admirable service to the organization in some specific capacity or capacities, requiring special skills, knowledge, and creative effort. In 2007, ALER gave him the A.B. Herr Award for distinguished service in reading. It recognizes a professional educator who has made outstanding contributions to the field of reading. In 2010, Cassidy was inducted into the Reading Hall of Fame, considered one of the most prestigious awards granted to those in literacy education.

Cassidy has over 100 national publications including over 50 nationally refereed journal articles, books, and book chapters. In addition, he has been an author, editor  or consultant on over a dozen series of texts and materials for children and youth. For 18 years, with various co-authors, he has written a column, “What’s Hot What’s Not in Literacy." The most recent column appears in the August/September 2013 issue of Reading Today. Longer discussions of literacy trends and issues (also with various co-authors) appear in a number of refereed journals, the most recent of which is the September 2013 issue of the Journal of Adolescent and Adult Literacy (“What Was Hot–and Not–in Literacy: What We Can Learn”). He has worked as a consultant for Educational Testing Service and was part of the Verbal Advisory Panel for the Scholastic Aptitude Test. In addition to hundreds of presentations in the United States, Cassidy has also presented papers in Australia (two times), Belgium, Canada (five times), Czech Republic, Croatia, France, Hungary (two times), Ireland (three times), New Zealand (two times), Philippines (two times), Sweden, and the United Kingdom.

In 2011, Cassidy retired as associate dean in the College of Education at Texas A&M University-Corpus Christi. He is also Professor Emeritus at Millersville University (PA). Cassidy has a Ph.D. in Educational Psychology with an emphasis in reading from Temple University in Philadelphia.

The City of Sta. Rosa in Laguna, Philippines, celebrated International Literacy Day (ILD) on September 9 with Book Characters on Parade, a Slogan Contest, and Reader’s Theater. The event was highlighted by Honorable Mayor Arlene B. Arcillas reading to over 150 children in the People's Hall of the City of Sta. Rosa. The pages of the children's books she read were projected on a screen so that all attendees could read along. The Mayor also raffled off 20 bicycles to highlight one of the books she read in Filipino, “Ang Bisikleta ni Monmon.”

The Mayor has sustained her support for this annual literacy event in the city for the past seven years. The reading with the Mayor has always ended with each child having a book in his/her hand. Her advocacy models a significant adult in the community who values love for books and reading.

This activity is very much in line with the 2013 ILD theme adopted by International Reading Association, “Invent Your Future,” which was celebrated throughout the month of September. 

The City of Sta. Rosa’s ILD celebration was participated in by both public and private schools elementary pupils, Boy Scouts, Girl Scouts, government and non-government officials, the Dep. Ed. City Division, the Private Schools Administrators Association, Rotary Clubs of Sta. Rosa, the Reading Association of the Philippines, and parents. The President of International Reading Association, Dr. Maureen McLaughlin sent her greetings and message to the city stakeholders in education for all the things that they do to spread the good news of literacy and helping the children invent their future!

Furthermore the Reading Association of the Philippines under the leadership of the President, Melissa Orencia, a partner of the City in this yearly event, has scheduled a Kwentuhan sa Daycare and a Training of Daycare teachers before the end of
September. Likewise, Adarna House will donate books for the children who will participate in the kwentuhan.

For more information about the Reading Association of the Philippines (RAP), visit http://rap.org.ph.

Sally (Rizalina) Labanda is a Past President of the Reading Association of the Philippines (RAP) and a former International Reading Association board member.

On Monday, September 9, the International Reading Association (IRA) celebrated International Literacy Day with an exclusive event at The Whittemore House in Washington, DC.

The program centered on the theme of career readiness and featured speakers Alma Powell from America’s Promise Alliance, IRA President Maureen McLaughlin, and a panel including Glenn Marshall from the National Association for Manufacturing Excellence, English/Reading Specialist Ann Kennedy from Arlington Mill High School, Rich Carson from Rotary International, and Jaimie Matthews from the U.S. Chamber of Commerce. IRA Director of Government Relations Richard Long moderated.

The event was enriched by a question-and-answer segment at the end, where attendees enjoyed the opportunity to ask the speakers questions and hear insightful responses to their organizations’ specific challenges.

Alma Powell

Alma Powell and Maureen McLaughlin

Ann Kennedy, Jaimie Matthews, Rich Carson, and Glenn Marshall

Glenn Marshall, Alma Powell, Maureen McLaughlin, Jaimie Matthews, Ann Kennedy, Richard Long, and Rich Carson

More details of the Washington, DC event and other projects in IRA’s International Literacy Day celebration will be featured in the next issue of Reading Today, IRA’s bimonthly member magazine. For more information about this event, read the press release.

by Chelsea Miller

Looking for something to distinguish yourself and give you an excuse for a trip to New Orleans in May? Perhaps applying for an International Reading Association (IRA) award or grant will satisfy. Applicants should send materials by the due date to be reviewed by our committees. Those who are chosen will be recognized at the IRA 59th Annual Conference in New Orleans from May 9-12, 2014. There is a grant or award for almost anyone involved in the field of education; teachers, graduate students, authors… the list goes on and on. So to all of those bold enough to apply we wish you good luck!

Due October 1, 2013

• National Affiliate Conference Grant applications for IRA affiliates in countries that the World Bank classifies as “economically developing” who want to plan a national conference in fall 2013 or later 
• IRA Outstanding Dissertation of the Year Award applications

Due October 31, 2013

• Advocacy Award applications for state and provincial councils’ educational policy and legislation projects
• Local Council Community Service Award for state and provincial councils’ outstanding service to their communities and literacy

Due November 1, 2013

• IRA Children’s and Young Adults’ Book Award applications for newly-published authors
• IRA Elva Knight Research Grant applications for research in literacy
• IRA Helen M. Robinson Grant applications to assist doctoral students at the early stages of dissertation research
• IRA Jeanne S. Chall Research Fellowship applications to support reading research by promising scholars
• IRA Steven A. Stahl Research Grant applications for graduate students who have at least three years of teaching experience and who are conducting classroom research
• IRA Teacher as Researcher Grant applications for classroom teachers who undertake action research inquiries about literacy and instruction

Due November 15, 2013

• IRA Award for Technology and Reading applications for educators of grades K-12 who are making an innovative contribution to the use of technology in education
• IRA Arbuthnot Award application for a college or university professor contributing to children’s and young adults’ literature.  
• Constance McCullough Award applications for use in international professional development activities outside North America
• IRA Erwin Zolt Curriculum Excellence Award applications to support exceptional design and execution of a curriculum unit based on In2Books and the Common Core State Standards
• IRA Esther Zolt Teacher Research Grant applications for a completed action research study about implementing In2Books
• IRA Esther Zolt Academic Research Grant applications for a completed research study on the effective classroom implementation of In2Books
• Exemplary Reading Program Award applications for state and provincial councils—visit the IRA website for more details and for the Exemplary Reading Program Chair for your state/province
• IRA Jerry Johns Outstanding Teacher Educator in Reading Award applications or nominations
• IRA John Chorlton Manning Public School Service Award applications for college- or university-based teacher educators with a record of effective preparation of reading teachers/graduate students and who spend significant time working with public school teachers and their students in classrooms
• IRA Maryann Manning Outstanding Volunteer Service Award applications for four dedicated volunteers within North America and one dedicated volunteer outside of North America
• IRA Nila Banton Smith Award applications for outstanding leadership in translating theory and current research into practice
• IRA Short Story Award applications for authors
• IRA Regie Routman Teacher Recognition Grant applications for elementary classroom teachers of grades K–6 (ages 5–12)
• Special Service Award applications for unusual and distinguished service to IRA
• IRA/Weekly Reader Eleanor M. Johnson Award applications for an outstanding elementary classroom teacher of reading/language arts
• IRA William S. Gray Citation of Merit applications or nominations for a nationally or internationally known person for outstanding contributions to the field of reading

Please keep in mind many of the IRA awards and grants require applicants to be IRA members. Remember to read the application requirements carefully before submitting your materials. For a comprehensive list of awards and grants offered (including deadlines, specifications, and past recipients) please consult our awards and grants webpage.

Chelsea Miller is a strategic communications intern at the International Reading Association.

As a supplement to her "President's Message" column about read-alouds, recreational reading, and round robin reading in the August/September issue of Reading Today, IRA President Maureen McLaughlin offers the following resources for literacy educators:

Bookmark Technique Graphic Organizer (PDF)

K-W-L-S Graphic Organizer (PDF)

Examples of Informational Read-Aloud Sources

Bio.True Story
www.biography.com

Biographies of Women Mathematicians
www.agnesscott.edu/lriddle/women/alpha.htm

The United States Memorial Holocaust Museum
www.ushmm.org

Scitable (DNA Function and Structure)
www.nature.com/scitable/topicpage/discovery-of-dna-structure-andfunction-watson-397

This article is an addendum to an article from the August/September 2013 issue of Reading Today. IRA members can read the interactive digital version of the magazine here. Nonmembers: join today!