Literacy Now

Adelina Arellano
Osuna


Paul Boyd-Batstone


Oscar J.
Martinez-Alaniz

Last November, the International Reading Association and the Organization of American States (OAS) held a webinar series titled, “Innovative Literacy Teaching Techniques” through OAS’s Inter-American Teacher Education Network (ITEN). 

ITEN is a professional network of leaders in education in the Americas interested in sharing knowledge, experiences, research and good practices in the field of teacher education, based on a strategy of horizontal cooperation.

The presenters of the webinar series were both volunteers and members of IRA. The presenters were Dr. Adelina Arellano Osuna, a literacy research at the University of Los Andes in Bogota; Dr. Paul Boyd-Batstone, a reading and writing professor at the California State University, Long Beach; and Dr. Oscar J. Martinez-Alaniz, an English professor at the Cervantes College CA, Mexico. The webinar series was held on the 13th and 26th of July and on the 10th of August of 2012.

More than 100 teachers participated in OAS’s ITEN and IRA webinar series. The idea of the webinar series was initiated by Mrs. Kelly Dwyer of the organization Teach a Teacher in Caraz, Ancash, Peru. Originally, the participants were going to be teachers from Peru but many other teachers from all over Latin America participated. OAS- ITEN have had many webinars since it was launched in June of 2011, but the OAS-IRA webinar series was the one that reached a record by having more than 100 participants in a webinar. 

The webinar series’ forum currently has 870 members and is one of the most popular groups of the community. The topic has generated such an interest that even other teachers that have not attended the workshop are participating actively of the forums and wall of comments. The wall comment currently has more than 18 pages of comments shared by members. The OAS and IRA are planning to have many more webinar series coming up with the help of IRA’s members.

For more information on IRA-OAS webinar series or for further information on the webinars and the initiatives by ITEN please visit:
http://riedamericas.net/group/serie-de-webinars-ira/page/serie-de-webinars-ried-ira and http://www.oas.org/en/iten/. 

Institute 11: The Role of Fluency in the Common Core: Viewing Fluency as a Developmental Continuum for Literacy Achievement

David D. Paige

Reading Today Online asked all of the Institute Chairpersons for IRA San Antonio to respond to three questions designed to give our readers and all prospective attendees a better understanding of the insights and benefits they will gain from attending these day-long programs. Below are responses from Institute 11 Chair David D. Paige.

What is the professional urgency that this institute is designed to address?

A “Reading Tsunami” is coming soon! With the implementation of the Common Core across the country, knowledgeable administrators and teachers are beginning to recognize the importance of effective fluency in all readers. More urgently, the quickly approaching “Reading Tsunami” in the form of the assessment of complex text in the Common Core suggests that students with inadequate fluency skills will very likely struggle. Evidence suggests that inadequate fluency skills including little reading stamina, poorly developed word identification skills, and languid automaticity with text will result in poor ability to construct meaning. In other words, reading scores may well decrease before they get better! “Fluency and the Common Core” will provide attendees with a jump-start on the knowledge and tools to implement effective fluency instruction in their districts and schools.

What types of literacy professionals is this institute designed for?

Content teachers, reading teachers, special education teachers, and literacy coaches from elementary, middle, and high school will benefit from this institute. Central office personnel responsible for reading initiatives across the district will also benefit through a deeper understanding of how fluency instruction should fit into the larger curriculum. Undergraduate and graduate students will gain understanding of reading fluency and its importance in effective reading instruction from national experts.

How will attendance at this institute help those literacy professionals “make a difference” in their work?

Those attending this institute will take away the following “difference makers” that will help in their work with students:

1. Greater understanding of the role that fluent reading plays for students at all grade levels
2. The demands of the Common Core relative to reading fluency and complex text
3. Specific strategies that can be employed across elementary, middle, and high school to encourage the development of fluent reading in students.

Registration Information: This preconference institute will be held at the Grand Hyatt in San Antonio, Texas from 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. on Friday, April 19 before the 58th International Reading Association Annual Convention begins on Saturday, April 20. Register online for this or another institute and/or to register for the annual convention. Call 888-294-9167 or 415-979-2278 to find out how to register by phone, fax, or mail. To learn more about convention events in San Antonio, visit the annual convention website and the online itinerary planner (iPlanner), or read more Reading Today annual convention articles.

 

 

 

Full-Day Professional Development Institutes for Literacy Educators

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International Reading Association Annual Convention Program

Institute 12: Meeting the Differentiated Needs in Early Literacy Using the CCSS: Assessment and Instruction

Reading Today Online asked all of the Institute Chairpersons for IRA San Antonio to respond to three questions designed to give our readers and all prospective attendees a better understanding of the insights and benefits they will gain from these day-long programs. Below are responses from Institute 12 Chairs Lesley Morrow, Billie Enz, Diane Lapp, and Judith Schickedanz. 

What is the professional urgency that this institute is designed to address?

We know that if our children are on level by grade 3 they are likely to stay on level and succeed in reading. Only 10% of those who are not will ever reach grade level. With the addition of perks we can save $7.00 a child on additional preventative measures in the future. Early Literacy has the responsibility to help our children be fluent by third grade. There is no necessity for the fourth grade slump which in many schools is now being called the third grade slump.

What types of literacy professionals is this institute designed for?

This institute is a must for teachers, supervisors, librarians, coaches, and administrators who deal in early literacy.

How will attendance at this institute help those literacy professionals “make a difference” in their work?

In this institute we emphasize the necessity for engaging children in the language arts all day long. Reading is a skill from which we learn new things—new things that are exciting, relevant, and that children want to read. Reading needs to be about children’s interests such as sports, pop culture, technology, nutrition, etc.

In an outline of an excellent Language Arts Program foundational skills, oral language, listening, vocabulary, visual literacy, comprehension, and fluency will be modeled in content area lessons. This will be done by the best researchers, practitioners, and entertaining speakers in the country. The BIG message is we must teach literacy purposefully all day long in in explicit instruction and intentionally through art, music, science, play, social studies, and math in early childhood.

Our keynote speaker is an author of children’s literature, an academic, and a consultant. Dr. Lester Laminas will motivate you with his dynamic presentation on "Flirting with Literacy: Sparking a Life-Long Love Affair with Literature." We will have nine different workshops throughout the day from which you have to choose. The workshops are interactive, and will be filled with strategies. In the workshops there will be:

• videos demonstrating best practice
• town meeting style presentations to get you to tell us what you think, and
• discussions to share your ideas

A new feature in our institute is a panel of distinguished experts each speaking briefly about key topics in early literacy multicultural literature, new Head Start Literacy Initiatives, and classified children in early literacy. Richard Allington will address the following: “We could Teach Them All to Read, But Will We?”

The day also includes a keynote at the end by William Teale, who will tie up loose ends that deal with our theme of the CCSS, diversity, and an integrated curriculum. 

We end with our lovely “High Tea” for refreshments and reflections. 

We have no formal presentations but the purpose is to interact with the speakers. This has been a highlight of our program every year. The institute with its many features, speakers, and topics will address the Common Core with young children, differentiated instruction, the joy of literacy, and the diversity of our students.

This early literacy institute has been an institution at IRA for at least 25 years. We feel we have brought you the best, the brightest, and the most informed speakers to talk about the most crucial topics about early literacy today. We know you will leave with a wealth of information to turnkey into your school programs.

Registration Information: This preconference institute will be held at the Henry B. Gonzalez Convention Center in San Antonio, Texas from 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. on Friday, April 19 before the 58th International Reading Association Annual Convention begins on Saturday, April 20. Register online for this or another institute and/or to register for the annual convention. Call 888-294-9167 or 415-979-2278 to find out how to register by phone, fax, or mail. To learn more about convention events in San Antonio, visit the annual convention website and the online itinerary planner (iPlanner), or read more Reading Today annual convention articles.

Kansas Reading Association President Donita Shaw shared the council's many activities—local to international—with Reading Today.

What are some exciting upcoming council projects?

At a state level, Kansas Reading Association has actually just finished several projects. The governor proclaimed January as Kansas READ month and we provided activities to promote literacy. We have a picture book award in honor of Bill Martin Jr., and members just voted for this year’s winner. We also have a newly designed website. Our 2012 journal will be forthcoming. Our future goals are to continue building on the work we’ve done during 2012-2013 with sponsoring service projects, providing professional development at our fall conference in Wichita October 13-14, 2013, and supporting local councils. Our local councils will hold their spring meetings in March and April. Some will focus on author visits, a spring tea, Dr. Seuss, and e-readers such as Nook, Kindle, and iPads.

What types of literacy outreach do your state and local councils do?

One of KRA's goals is to support an international literacy project, Ethiopia Reads, led by LeAnn Clark. Lives are being changed! This year our feature is Bring a Book Buy a Book (BABBAB). It is a program that any school can do—kids "run it." Children bring gently used books and donate one, and then buy one for a low price. The proceeds go to purchase books for Ethiopia- it even gives them the chance to support the book publishers in Africa and then we don't have to pay the shipping. See http://www.ethiopiareads.org. 

Local councils are very involved in their communities. For example, magazines are provided for children who stay at Hope House, books are provided to parents of young children, thesauruses are given to foreign exchange students, book writing contests are held, scholarships are given, and many other contributions have and will continue to be made. 

What are the benefits of joining your council?

There are many, many benefits of joining the Kansas Reading Association (KRA).

• KRA has become a strong voice and respected resource in Kansas Learning First Alliance.
• KRA strives to engage in a collaborative relationship with KSDE and be a natural advocate for all KRA is doing for the teaching of literacy.
• KRA is working to raise awareness of our organization and literacy issues among administrators.
• KRA is providing important professional development opportunities for teachers (preservice and inservice teachers too) through local councils and an annual fall conference.
• KRA is providing important professional development opportunities for teachers through the publication of Kansas Journal of Reading which is published annually. This is a premier resource for instructional strategies and discussion of research.
• KRA is providing community service through local and state programs.
• KRA provides leadership training that members can use in their local councils as well as their schools and communities.
• KRA offers the opportunity to associate with good, hardworking, earnest, dedicated professionals.
• KRA encourages literacy through its professional and volunteer awards to those individuals and businesses helping to promote literacy.
• KRA encourages literacy through its grants to councils that promote literacy projects.

How does one join or become involved?

To join, a prospective member may visit our website at www.kansasread.org. Click on the tab “join KRA” and the requested information will be provided there. To be involved please feel free to find a local council (tab on the left of the website) and contact the leaders. The Kansas Reading Association Executive Board is always happy to assist you in finding ways to be involved.

Is there anything else you'd like to share about your council?

We are so proud of Babs Tims, a veteran fourth grade teacher at Lakeside Elementary School in Pittsburg, KS! Babs was honored at the 2012 IRA Annual Convention as “Celebrated Teacher of the Year.” Thank you Babs, for inspiring young readers!

Our 2012-2013 year has been a year of growing visibly within our organization as well as in our communities. We are committed to serving our constituency by “promoting quality literacy experiences for all.”

"Celebrated Teacher of the Year" Babs Tims, a veteran fourth grade teacher at Lakeside Elementary School in Pittsburg, KS.

Institute 5: Vocabulary Instruction That Makes a Difference: Meeting Standards and Beyond with a Multiphase Comprehensive Vocabulary Instruction Program (MCVIP) in Grades 4-9 

Reading Today Online asked all of the Institute Chairpersons for IRA San Antonio to respond to three questions designed to give our readers and all prospective attendees a better understanding of the insights and benefits they will gain from attending these day-long programs.

What is the professional urgency that this Institute is designed to address?

Are you confused about how best to integrate vocabulary instruction into your curriculum? Are you working on the kind of instruction in vocabulary that the Common Core State Standards and best-practices research calls for? Are you dissatisfied with compartmentalizing vocabulary in your curriculum with a free-standing program, workbook or other set of commercial materials?  Then this is the institute for you!

What types of literacy professionals is this Institute designed for?

This institute is designed for educational professionals (teachers, literacy specialists, interventionists, curriculum directors. professional developers) wanting to build strong, integrated vocabulary instruction in their schools and classrooms. Four nationally known experts on vocabulary—Michael Graves, author of The Vocabulary Book (2005); Jim Baumann, co-editor of Vocabulary Instruction, Second Edition: Research to Practice (2013); Camille Blachowicz, co-author of Teaching Vocabulary in All Classrooms (2010); and Patrick Manyak, former Reading Teacher columnist and conceptualizer of Character Trait Analysis (2007)—will present the foundations of research-based vocabulary instruction which has shown to make a difference in student performance. Their session will include keynotes to orient participants to the research on vocabulary and classroom instruction and 3 different breakouts with teachers and professional developers from their federally funded Multifaceted Vocabulary Instruction Project.  Participants will attend all three breakouts, with video examples of teaching, and then have a chance to Q & A with the experts and master teachers.

How will attendance at this Institute help those literacy professionals "make a difference" in their work?

This institute is designed by researchers, authors, professional developers and teachers with a deep commitment to teacher empowerment and professional growth.  They are passionate about what they have learned and developed together and want to share it with you, the school literacy professional. 

You will leave the institute with handouts and other resources reflecting all four essential components of a multifaceted program and with concrete, teacher-tested ideas that resulted in standardized test and performance gains for students.

You will have a chance to ask specific teachers, professional developers and researchers about what they have seen and experienced and will have time to network with other engaged and dedicated educators throughout the interactive sessions.

This is your chance to learn about vocabulary instruction that makes a difference. The institute is limited in size to maximize interaction so, if YOU want to make a difference in the vocabulary learning of your students, sign up soon.

Registration Information: This preconference institute will be held at the Henry B. Gonzalez Convention Center in San Antonio, Texas from 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. on Friday, April 19 before the 58th International Reading Association Annual Convention begins on Saturday, April 20. Register online for this or another institute and/or to register for the annual convention. Call 888-294-9167 or 415-979-2278 to find out how to register by phone, fax, or mail. To learn more about convention events in San Antonio, visit the annual convention website and the online itinerary planner (iPlanner), or read more Reading Today annual convention articles.