Literacy Now

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. 

 

The Library of Congress’ 2011 National Book Festival will be held on September 24 and 25 on the National Mall between ninth and 14th Streets in Washington, D.C. 

Co-chaired by President Obama and Mrs. Obama, this year’s event draws an impressive lineup of authors, including Toni Morrison, Terry McMillan, Dave Eggers, Hoda Kotb, Julianne Moore and a host of other bestselling and award-winning writers. 

See www.loc.gov/bookfest to access the complete author lineup and for more information. 

Excitement swirled around the publication of the fall 2011 International Reading Association (IRA) publications catalog, but the collection of literacy resources wasn’t the only draw. This catalog is the first IRA catalog to feature an interactive shopping cart that allows readers to purchase items while browsing the digital version.

Beginning this month, Wiley-Blackwell will manage the production and distribution of The Reading Teacher, Journal of Adolescent & Adult Literacy, and Reading Research Quarterly. IRA will continue to provide each journal with peer-reviewed, research-based content through its professional journal editors and review boards. All copyrights of journal content will continue to be owned by IRA. 

What does this mean for IRA members? Print subscribers can expect the same high-quality IRA journals to be delivered each month, although the September print issue will arrive in mailboxes a little later than usual. In the coming months, online publication of the journals will transition from the Association's website (/) to the Wiley Online Library (onlinelibrary.wiley.com), which offers a number of technological enhancements that allow for more user customization and interaction with tablets and smartphones. 

The September issue of The Reading Teacher is the first under Editors Diane Barone and Marla Mallette, featuring an all-new look and content. Please e-mail RT@reading.org to share your impressions. This issue of The Reading Teacher features contributions by Nell K. Duke, Nicole M. Martin, Roberta F. Schnorr, William P. Bintz, Sara D. Moore, Pam Wright, Lyndsie Dempsey, Kathy Ann Mills, Amanda Levido, Chase J. Young, Timothy V. Rasinski, Stephanie Wessels, Katrin L. Blamey, Katherine A. Beauchat, Frank Serafini, Katherine A. Dougherty Stahl, and Patricia L. Hardré.

The Journal of Adolescent & Adult Literacy (JAAL) also features some new, practical features. Select JAAL articles now offer “Take Action!” sidebars of simple, step-by-step instructions to help you quickly get started using a teaching idea or strategy. “More to Explore” points you to books, articles, ReadWriteThink.org lessons, and even podcasts related to the topic of an article. “Toolbox” provides a variety of teaching and classroom management tips and a reproducible that is ready to use. “Spark” helps you to ignite your students’ literacy achievement. Some of your favorite authors and educators provide quick, practical tips that are based in research and tested in classrooms, plus a list of additional resources if you want to take the idea even further. 

The September issue of JAAL includes submissions by Donald J. Leu, J. Gregory McVerry, W. Ian O’Byrne, Carita Kiili, Lisa Zawilinski, Heidi Everett-Cacopardo, Clint Kennedy, Elena Forzani, Amanda Haertling Thein, Megan Guise, DeAnn Long Sloan, Mellinee Lesley, Kathy A. Mills, Vinesh Chandra, Janette Hughes, Sue Dymoke, Ellen S. Friedland, Susan E. McMillen, Pixita del Prado Hill, Douglas Fisher, Diane Lapp, Nancy Frey, David O’Brien, Scott Voss, James Blasingame, April Brannon, Laura B. Turchi, Risha Mullins, Shelly Shaffer, Aron Jones, Ted Domers, and Garth Gagnier. Please send your views of the new journal to JAAL@reading.org.

by Cheryl Jeffers