Literacy Now

A new report released today by the International Literacy Association (ILA) reveals that only 34% of teachers surveyed felt equipped by their teacher preparation programs with the skills needed for effective early reading instruction. The differences in how teachers are prepared carries a price tag, according to respondents; the majority point to the variability of teacher knowledge and effectiveness as being among the greatest barriers to equity in literacy education.

The ILA 2020 What’s Hot in Literacy Report provides a snapshot of what 1,443 literacy professionals from 65 countries and territories deem the most critical topics to advancing literacy worldwide over the next decade. In addition, it identifies top challenges and supports needed by those in the field.

Early literacy skills and equity emerged as top critical topics from those surveyed; access to high-quality books and content, professional learning opportunities and effective instructional strategies for struggling readers rounded out the top five.

The findings regarding teacher preparation and the variability of teacher knowledge and effectiveness relate directly to current conversations in the field regarding which instructional methods are included in preservice programs—and how much emphasis they are given. This lack of effectiveness also points to the need for more ongoing professional learning opportunities, a critical topic cited by respondents throughout the survey.

For example, though the majority of teachers reported that both phonics and phonemic awareness were covered in their preservice programs, the percentage who said their program did an “excellent” or “very good” job of preparing them to use these methods was low—27% for phonics and 26% for phonemic awareness. In addition, 30% of those surveyed indicated a desire for more professional development and/or a greater understanding of explicit and systematic phonics instruction.

More than a quarter of teachers said they need support in both creating a professional learning network and pursuing professional learning opportunities. In addition, 50% of respondents believe the topic of ongoing professional learning needs more focus and attention from education policymakers.

“Overwhelmingly, we learned that educators in the literacy field are in need of support,” said ILA Executive Director Marcie Craig Post. “This survey helps us to identify where that support is needed so, as a professional organization, we can provide solutions.”

Another area in which the majority of respondents expressed the need for support is research. A whopping 93% cite research as the backbone of effective literacy instruction, and staying current on research was cited as a top three responsibility of literacy educators by 50% or more of teachers, literacy consultants and higher education professionals. In addition, 44% said this is an area in which they needed more support. And most—85%—agreed that academic experts and professional associations should provide that support.

The full survey findings are available in the ILA 2020 What’s Hot in Literacy Report, available at literacyworldwide.org/whatshot. Join the conversation on Twitter by using the hashtag #ILAWhatsHot.

As we leave 2019 behind and enter the new decade, we look back on the top read content on Literacy Daily that had our readers engaged, informed, and entertained. Out of hundreds of posts, the top read covered a wide range of hard-hitting topics—from the celebration of literacy events to exploring research-based literacy instruction. Enjoy the top 10 most visited blog posts below—just in case you missed them!

10. Affirming Individuality and Identity Through Picture Books and Storytelling

9. #ILAchat: The Power and the Promise of Independent Reading

8. A Marie Kondo Approach to Literacy Instruction

7. Rethinking Assessment in Word Study: Five Ready-to-Go Ideas

6. How and Why to Include Word Solving in Intermediate Grades

5. Student Choice Is the Key to Turning Students Into Readers

4. Ten Resources for Celebrating the 10th Anniversary of World Read Aloud Day

3. Creative Assessments for Independent Reading

2. Research-Based Literacy Instruction Strategies

1. What Research Really Says About Teaching Reading (Even Beyond ILA 2019

In addition to the top blogs, we’ve also compiled the top keyword searches from 2019:

• Making sense of what research says
• Vocabulary
• Phonics
• Diversity
• Fluency
• Sight words
• Personalized professional development
• Writing
• Assessment
• Comprehension

We look forward to bringing our readers more content and resources on Literacy Daily in 2020!

For more than 20 years, ILA has published the What’s Hot in Literacy report. With the 2020 What’s Hot results launching January 22, Literacy Daily takes a look back at what survey respondents prioritized as the top issues in education just two years ago.

• Early Literacy was both hot and important. It took the No. 1 spot as the most important topic for the second year in a row.

• Equity in Literacy Education was a critical global issue. It was the No. 2 most important topic in developing countries and the U.S. and No. 1 in other developed countries. The survey defined equity as “ensuring all children get what they need not only in situations of poverty and limited resources but also regardless of academic proficiency, geographic remoteness, and any other barrier to school success.”
  
  Survey comments suggested that these factors unlevel the playing field, and that governments do not provide supports necessary to overcome the disparities.

• Family Engagement and Community Partnerships were more important than they were hot. Both topics should be getting more attention.

• More focus was needed on Teacher Preparation. It was the topic with the highest gap between attention it currently receives and how important it is to advancing literacy. According to 85% of respondents, Teacher Preparation is extremely or very important. Survey comments revealed that respondents felt that new teachers often enter the classroom without the skills needed to foster literacy success.

• Digital Literacy was the No. 1 hot topic but was not nearly as important to our respondents as other topics (including Disciplinary Literacy). “Fake news” was an increasingly popular topic in the wake of the 2016 U.S. presidential election, which could explain why people are paying more attention to digital literacy.

• Formative Assessments was valued much more than Summative Assessments—which falls last at No. 17 in importance.

Keep a look out for the 2020 What’s Hot in Literacy Report coming January 22. In the meantime, share with us on Twitter how you think education has changed over the past two years by tweeting us at @ILAToday.

This year was filled with powerful moments at ILA. As we look to the next decade, we take a moment to remember beloved ILA members we lost in 2019. Although they are no longer with us, the legacies these literacy champions leave will live on through their work and the changes that have come about as a result of their enduring commitment to transforming lives through literacy.

Poet Lee Bennett Hopkins passed away on August 8 in Cape Coral, FL. Hopkins dedicated his career to writing numerous children’s books, which earned him the Guinness World Record for “most prolific anthologist of poetry for children,” with 113 titles to his name when the record was declared in 2011. As a former teacher and ILA member, he was known for his community service and dedication to providing resources to educators. His legacy lives on through pieces such as Wonderful Words: Poems About Reading, Writing, Speaking, and Listening, Been to Yesterdays: Poems of Life, and many more.

Alan Crawford, emeritus professor of education at California State University, Los Angeles, passed away this summer. Crawford leaves behind a long legacy of championing best practices in literacy instruction, especially for English learners. A longtime member of ILA, he served as president of the California Reading Association from 1986 to 1987 and as a representative of the International Reading Association (IRA) to UNESCO for many years. In 2018, Crawford and his colleague, Charles Temple, were awarded the ILA Constance McCullough International Research Grant. With the funds, the two launched the Reading-Krio project, an effort to promote native language literacy instruction in Sierra Leone.

An early pioneer of ILA, Elizabeth Hunter-Grundin passed away on June 19. She and her husband, Hans, were dedicated to improving literacy throughout European schools, where they were based. Not only was she an ILA (formerly IRA) Board member in the 1980s, but she was also a past president of the United Kingdom Reading Association. As a researcher, teacher, and consultant in the United Kingdom, United States, and Canada, she focused on child-centered and holistic approaches to early literacy learning.

Professor of Reading Education at the University of Arkansas at Little Rock Linda Dorn passed away September 18. As a former Arkansas Literacy Association and ILA member, she presented at over 300 state, national, and international conferences, including keynote addresses and featured sessions. Dorn was Reading Recovery Trainer and was past president of the Board of Directors for the Reading Recovery Council of North America. At the state level, she had testified to legislative and state agencies on literacy instruction, and her work continues to be influential in shaping educational initiatives in the state.  

Past president of the Salt Lake Reading Council and former ILA Board member Ethna Reid passed away July 13. She was known to many as a teacher, principal, supervisor, and director of the Reading Clinic in Granite, Ogden, and Salt Lake School Districts. Reid also was the founder and principal of Reid School, located in Salt Lake City, UT. As developer of the reading language arts program, Exemplary Center for Reading Instruction, she worked to train teachers in eight critical teaching behaviors that lead to student success. Because of the high scores the program received, Reid was awarded "Distinguished Professional Award" for her outstanding contributions toward the education of  children in the United States.

Past president of ILA Roger Farr passed away in September. Farr served as emeritus chancellor's professor of education and director of the Center for Innovation and Assessment at Indiana University and wrote numerous assessments, including both standardized tests and performance assessments. From 1968 to 1980 he was coeditor of Reading Research Quarterly. In 1984, ILA honored Farr with the William S. Gray Citation of Merit for outstanding lifetime contributions to the teaching of reading. That same year, he was elected to the Reading Hall of Fame.

Although these champions in literacy are no longer with us, their combined efforts have changed the way we teach and understand literacy. We celebrate their lives and the lessons these leaders leave behind as we continue to promote literacy around the world.

We have received messages from a number of you regarding inflammatory and inappropriate comments made at a recent conference hosted by a state chapter.

We want to make it clear that ILA does not tolerate speech that is harassing, threatening, or violent in nature.

In 2018, ILA implemented a Code of Conduct for Participants of ILA Meetings and Events to ensure that the ILA conferences and other ILA meetings and events are safe spaces for all involved.

Leaders of our state chapters, which host their own state conferences, are encouraged to adopt or adapt this Code of Conduct for their meetings and events as well.

Furthermore, ILA’s Member Code of Conduct sets forth an expectation for all members to “follow the ethical standards and best practices evidenced by this Code of Conduct at all times, including, but not limited to: behaving with common courtesy and civility; conducting themselves in a businesslike, ethical and appropriate manner; and not engaging in or facilitating any discriminatory or harassing behavior.”

ILA takes reports of misconduct very seriously. While our organization does not comment on active investigations or disciplinary procedures, we want to assure our members, conference attendees, and other stakeholders that we are taking the appropriate steps to address this situation and are looking at other safeguards we can put in place to avoid a similar incident in the future.

Lastly, we want to encourage those who have experienced or observed violations of either Code of Conduct to contact us by emailing safety@reading.org.