Special Interest Groups

SIG Descriptions

• Adolescent Literacy Interest Group

  The Adolescent Literacy Interest Group (ALIG) brings together teachers, administrators, and researchers to share resources, research, ideas, and dilemmas related to helping all adolescent learners. We provide a forum for the study of adolescent literacy development by highlighting effective instructional practice, encouraging research into literacy processes, and addressing the social, emotional and cognitive needs of adolescent learners. We provide networking opportunities for the wide range of educators sharing an interest in adolescent literacy: middle and high school teachers, reading and literacy specialists, instructional coaches, school administrators, professional developers, university instructors and researchers, and parents.

  The Adolescent Literacy Interest Group collaboratively acts upon the values and beliefs outlined in the ILA's Adolescent Literacy Position Paper, to make significant and lasting improvement in the area of adolescent literacy. ALIG activities include publishing The Exchange newsletter, sponsoring the Adolescent Literacy Pre–Conference Institute at ILA, and hosting the Adolescent Literacy Thought Leader Award session at ILA.

• Canadian SIG on Literacy

  Canadian SIG on Literacy acts as a forum for communicating and discussing issues affecting literacy in Canada.

• CARE: Concern for Affect in Reading Education

  The CARE Special Interest Group encourages leadership, research, teaching, and discussion of issues dealing with reading affect, including attitudes, motivation, preferences, and responses to reading.

• Children's Literature and Reading

  The Children's Literature and Reading Special Interest Group is a community of individuals who have an abiding interest in the development of literacy and in promoting high quality literature. Our mission is to promote the educational use of children's books by focusing on recently published children's literature, supportive professional books, issues relative to children's literature, and current research findings. Membership typically includes Pre–K through 12 teachers, librarians, teacher candidates, administrators, university professors, authors and publishers.

• College Literacy and Learning

  The College Literacy and Learning SIG provides an exchange of ideas and techniques regarding teaching methods and assessment of students’ literacy and learning in two and four-year colleges and universities. The SIG evaluates the effectiveness of the programs, textbooks, and teaching materials used, encourages the adoption of specific qualifications for teacher educators, and serves as a resource for colleges and universities that are either implementing or improving literacy and learning programs for students.

• District Literacy Leadership (DiLL)

  Provide a professional community for professional educators who are interested in and concerns with district literacy leadership; provide a professional forum to explore the skills sets and knowledge district level administrators such as principals, assistant principals, curriculum directors, directors, and all levels of superintendents, should possess in order to make informed literacy decisions and for individuals to discuss literacy education, provide opportunities to explore and examine literacy leadership.

• Foundation Skills

  A group focused on the implementation of phonemic awareness, phonics, fluency, vocabulary and comprehension in reading instruction.

• ILARI Partnerships

  The ILARI Partnerships SIG was formed in 2007 to encourage members in ILA councils and RI clubs to work together in partnerships to create local, state/province, national and international literacy projects. To encourage and recognize the development of such partnerships, the Nea Stewart–Dore International Literacy Day Award, named after the late founder of the ILARI Partnerships SIG, was created in 2015.

  The ILARI Partnerships SIG produces a semi–annual newsletter in the New Year and just prior to the annual conference of the ILA to inform our members of recent developments. The ILARI Partnerships SIG also submits a SIG session proposal for consideration for the annual conference of the ILA.

• Leadership Educ. and Dev. for Educators in Reading (LEADER)

  The LEADER Special Interest Group supports ongoing growth in leadership knowledge and expertise for reading/literacy professionals at all career stages.

• Language Experience Approach (LESIG)

  The Language Experience: Literacy Across the Disciplines Special Interest Group (LESIG) is an organization for all members of the International Literacy Association (ILA) who are interested in the language experience approach and teaching and research on literacy at all levels across all disciplines. The purposes of LESIG are as follows

  • To create a community of teachers and researchers of literacy who support and encourage the study of language experience approach and literacy at all educational levels
  • To stimulate and promote research on literacy that studies the various factors that influence growth in literacy
  • To support the development of teacher training at all levels
  • To bring language experience approach and literacy to all stakeholders through presentations at the ILA annual conference and through the group's journal
  • To act as a clearinghouse for information relating to language experience approach and literacy
  • To disseminate knowledge helpful in the solution of problems related to literacy
  • To provide local professional development in the study of literacy to enhance educators' and teachers' knowledge and skills

• Literacy and Social Responsibility

  To study, understand & advocate for high quality programs which integrate community service, citizenship character education, appreciation for diversity, environmental stewardship and/or caring into the development of literacy across the curriculum. At last count there are 138 active members (+ a group of up to 39 new members) and at least 453 total SIG members. The name of the L-SR peer-reviewed eJournal is Literacy and Social Responsibility. The group has a Literacy & Service Recognition Award (for K–16+ students) and a Social Justice Literature Award (for award-winning books). The SIG was founded in 1995.

• Mastery Learning

  The Mastery Learning Special Interest Group brings together teachers, administrators, parents, students, researchers, and others interested in discussing ideas related to helping all students learn successfully in all schools.  Please come and join us to discuss what has been done, and what we can do so all students learn well.  Your ideas and experience can help improve our schools.  We look forward to hearing from you.

• Organization of Teacher Educators in Literacy (OTEL)

  The OTEL (Organization of Teacher Educators in Literacy) Special Interest Group's purpose is to facilitate communication among its membership; provide a forum for debate and discussion of current issues regarding improvement of reading instruction; assist in the development of quality teacher education through recommendations for preservice and in-service program; stimulate research in reading and disseminate information regarding significant investigations; seek improved competence at all levels of reading instruction; and arrange conferences that will further the objectives of the organization.

• Professors of Literacy and Teacher Education (PLTE)

  The mission of PLTE is to provide a community for professionals who educate future teachers, including, but not limited to, university faculty and graduate students. We provide high-quality professional development for professionals who educate future teachers as well as a forum for discussing literacy education. Through our membership, we also offer a mentoring environment for professionals who educate future teachers.

• Reading Disabilities

  The Reading Disabilities Special Interest Group supports a community of literacy professionals inclusive of researchers, school-based educators, and administrators who are dedicated to improving the lives of readers with diverse abilities. The group focuses on disseminating knowledge about identifying and addressing the literacy needs of students with reading disabilities as well as promoting greater understanding of how these learners can become successful and competent readers and writers.

• Reading for Gifted and Creative Students

  The Reading for Gifted and Creative Students Special Interest Group endeavors to help educators and parents to better understand the academic and psychological needs of gifted students. In our online semiannual journal, Creative and Gifted Journal, we seek to present perspectives for understanding gifted students in the classroom as well as present tools to meaningfully engage these students. We want our members to view gifted students as individuals with unique needs who need differentiated literacy. Many gifted students are twice exceptional, being gifted and learning disabled, and we present and discuss strategies to support them academically and socially. One of our major focus areas is to share strategies to identify and serve gifted students from disadvantaged and diverse backgrounds.