Literacy Now

Before the ILA 2015 Conference begins on July 18 in St. Louis, preconference institutes take an in-depth look at topics facing most schools, including diversity in the classroom, close reading, and project-based learning. These full-day sessions offer research, techniques, and strategies to integrate technology in the classroom, help English learners, and provide literacy education across all curricula.

Preconference institutes take an eight-hour deep dive into a topic including general and breakout sessions and discussions as well as takeaway collateral to put strategies into practice. You do not need to register for the full Conference & Exhibits to take part in the preconference institutes. Early Bird rates include $129 for Members and $199 for nonmembers. See conference registration for the complete range of prices.

Institute 01: Transforming Literacy Instruction Through Online Inquiry

This institute demonstrates research-based techniques and strategies for integrating literacy and technology in K–12 while showcasing instructional practices and Web 2.0 technologies that promote inquiry-based reading and writing, analytical thinking, personal reflection, collaboration, and creative response. Each session is designed to provide theoretical foundations, demonstrations of strategies, opportunities for hands-on practice, connections to authentic learning activities, Internet resources and tools, and tips for successful lessons.

Presenter: Denise Johnson, College of William & Mary

Institute 02: Newest Research on Classroom Literacy Practices

These sessions will highlight research-based practices that support and nurture literacy development. Each of the presenters will emphasize critical strategies to improve students' motivation to learn and reading and writing proficiency for students ages 4–18 (grades K–12) through general and breakout sessions and panel discussion.

Presenter: Susan B. Neuman, New York University

Institute 03: Transforming Access to Literacy: Empowering English Learners in K–12 Classrooms

This institute addresses quality literacy development for English learners (EL). Today, every teacher is a language teacher and literacy professional. Plenary sessions by Yetta Goodman, Zhihui Fang, David Schwarzer, and Mayra Daniel will put participants in the “real world” of life as an EL. Plenary topics will extend into breakout sessions and conversations throughout the day. Presenters are Fabiola Ehlers Zavala, Kouider Mokhtari, Paul Boyd Batstone, Chris Liska Carger, Abha Gupta, Rona F. Flippo, Janice Cate, Stephan Sargent, Guang-Lea Lee, Carol Owles, Kathrine Crane, and Debbie Price.

Presenter: Mayra Daniel, Northern Illinois University

Institute 04: Vocabulary Collaborations: Pathways to Vocabulary Learning for All Students, Grades 2–12

This institute, focused on students ages 7–18 (grades 2–12), comprises five keynotes and two breakout series. Five keynote addresses by seven leading experts will draw on research, the Common Core State Standards, empirical evidence, and first-hand experience to build attendees' understandings about developing the vocabulary knowledge and word-solving abilities as well as word-learning interest of grades 2–12 learners. Sessions use research-based strategies, activities, and techniques to engage grades 2–12 students in rich vocabulary-learning experiences.

Presenter: Kathy Ganske, Vanderbilt University

Institute 05: Best Practices for Children in All Areas of Early Literacy Instruction

This institute features research-based strategies grounded in the Common Core State Standards that support appropriate early literacy development. Sessions discuss foundational skills, oral language development, comprehension, fluency, writing, and the role of family in early literacy. Strategies include project-based instruction, new literacies, and supporting English learners. All presentations will recognize diversity, provide strategies for differentiating instruction, and offer ways to make reading, writing, and language joyful.

Presenter: Lesley Morrow, Rutgers University

Institute 06: Reading Simplified: Up Close & Personal Engagement With Efficient Strategies for Beginning Readers

Videos, hands-on demonstrations, and practice with specific feedback are used to integrate the alphabetic principle, phonics knowledge, and key phonemic awareness skills using a streamlined, multisensory approach. During this interactive, hands-on multimedia presentation, a team of presenters will use live demonstrations, videos that reflect the implementation of strategies and component activities, and more designed to match typical student errors and increase the likelihood of instruction that is matched to students' abilities, and specific feedback.

Presenter: Christie L. Cavanaugh, Independent Consultant

Institute 07: Accelerating and Extending Literacy for Diverse Learners: Using Culturally Responsive Teaching

This institute will address the issue of culturally and linguistically diverse (CLD) students who are struggling readers, seldom identified for gifted programs. DISCOVER, a performance assessment based on Howard Gardner's Multiple Intelligences, will be introduced as a way to identify the strengths of CLD students, followed by discussion on how to create a culturally responsive learning environment through technology and a toolkit for parents.

Presenter: Dorothy Ann Sisk, Lamar University

Institute 08: Novel Engineering: An Integrated Approach to Teaching Literacy and Engineering

Novel Engineering (NE), a National Science Foundation–funded project at Tufts Center for Engineering Education and Outreach, engages students ages 6–14 (grades 1–8) and educators in engineering, using books as a context for client-centered, open-ended design challenges. In this hands-on interactive workshop, you will work in groups and use NE to integrate engineering and literacy, recognize texts as rich ground for engineering design, identify character-clients and problems, scope constraints surrounding the problem, and design and build solutions using age- and grade-level texts. You'll analyze video of NE students, focusing on their thinking and ideas, and plan NE units for your classroom.

Presenter: Lija Yang, Tufts University CEEO

Institute 09: Reading With Rigor: Interpreting Complex Texts Using Annotation and Close Reading Strategies

The kind of lifelong readers we imagine our students becoming are the type of readers who do not simply let a text wash over them. We see reading as an active process in which readers question, challenge, and talk back to the text—all components of interpretation. Raising the quality and rigor of reading instruction in our classrooms, while making it fun and accessible to all students, is possible through close reading and annotation strategies with print and digital texts. The sessions provide a collection of graphic organizers and strategies, as well as tried-and-true methods to help your students construct and deepen their reading of complex texts.

Presenter: Dana Johansen, Teachers College

Institute 10: Transforming Adolescents’ Lives Through Literacy

This institute offers practical strategies and targeted research on adolescent literacy, especially as it relates to reading complex texts and incorporating technology in literacy. Through a series of keynote addresses, interactive breakout sessions, and a panel discussion, participants will have the opportunity to explore topics of particular interest to their work and learn more about what ILA leaders and Members are doing to strengthen adolescent literacy as we strive to transform adolescents' lives through literacy. This institute is an interactive, international forum for the dissemination of current research and promising practices in the field of adolescent literacy.

Presenter: Susan Lenski, Portland State University

Institute 11: Transforming Teachers' and Students' Lives Through a Schoolwide Approach to Literacy Learning

Learn about how successful schools have built teacher and student capacity through schoolwide pedagogical approaches to improve and sustain student literacy learning outcomes and leave with takeaway strategies. Lesson snapshots, teacher interviews, and transcripts will bring research into focus. Through self-examination and considering school context implications, you will examine the image of a 21st-century literacy professional.

Presenter: Shirley O'Neill, University of Southern Queensland

Institute 12: Building Literacy Through Rigorous, Relevant, and Engaging Project-Based Learning

In this institute, you will construct an understanding of the key elements of gold standard project-based learning and learn to create rigorous, relevant, and engaging projects. As part of the process, you will participate in a design workshop in which you'll develop the skills and knowledge to integrate research-based literacy strategies into your projects so that all students achieve.

Presenter: David Christopher Ross, Buck Institute for Education

Institute 13:Transforming Instruction for Culturally, Linguistically, and Socially Diverse Learners

This institute will introduce you to the principles of the Accelerated Literacy approach as well as equip classroom teachers with new ideas to gain a deeper understanding of the literacy needs of these students and practical examples of these highly engaging, motivating, and inclusive teaching strategies.

Presenter: Cathryn Mary Welsford, Effective Teaching

Institute 14: ILA 2015 Research Institute

The ILA 2015 Research Institute integrates the cutting-edge thinking of literacy's leading researchers in successive one-hour keynote presentations. Topics are beginning readers; teaching young learners to read and write informational text; the latest thinking on reading comprehension; the most innovative information about close reading; English learners and struggling readers; and motivating and engaging all learners.

Presenter: Maureen McLaughlin, East Stroudsburg University

The ILA 2015 Conference will be held July 18–20 in St. Louis, MO, with more than 6,000 educators ready to transform their practice. The days will be jam-packed with featured speakers, the revamped Teaching Edge series, and exciting general sessions. Key topics affecting literacy featured at the conference include content literacy, children’s literature, classroom engagement, and professional development. More than 120 exhibitors will be on hand with new tools and technologies for all manners of literacy education.

Learn more about the conference programs at ilaconference.org. Register today for the ILA 2015 Conference to take advantage of special Early Bird pricing.

It may be hard for some of us to believe, but in some low-income communities there is just one book for every 300 children. Consider how a book drought affects summer learning loss and knowledge gaps when students no longer have access to the school library.

This month’s #ILAchat will feature Book Love Foundation and First Book, non-profits that combat the education gap during the summer season through providing access to books year-round.

First Book and Penny Kittle, co-founder of Book Love Foundation, will be on hand during the chat to share with educators how to take part in the crusade to promote summer reading despite of the challenge of a book drought.

Kittle is an English teacher, literacy coach, and director of new teacher mentoring at Kennett High School in North Conway, New Hampshire. She is the National Council of Teachers of English Policy Analyst for the State of New Hampshire. She is the author of Book Love: Developing Depth, Stamina, and Passion in Adolescent Readers, Write Beside Them: Risk, Voice, and Clarity in High School Writing. She co-authored Inside Writing: How to Teach the Details of Craft and My Quick Writes.

Kittle founded the Book Love Foundation in 2012 with her husband. The organization supports teachers who exemplify a passion for promoting reading by donating independent libraries to engage adolescents. The Foundation provides teachers with starter libraries of 500 books and since beginning, the group has funded 13 classroom libraries and awarded grants to 10 additional teachers.

First Book, founded in 1992 by Kyle Zimmer, is dedicated to making books available to all children on an ongoing basis. First Book has distributed more than 120 million books and educational resources to schools and programs serving low-income families, and on average First Book delivers more than 35,000 new books per day. 

Join @ILAToday in the #ILAchat On Thursday, April 9, at 8:00 p.m. ET.  Make sure to use the hashtag so you don’t miss any posts!

Madelaine Levey is the communications intern the International Literacy Association.

Join us April 28 at 8:00 p.m. ET for our next Google Hangout on Air when authors Donalyn Miller and Teri Lesesne will will share how teachers can kick start their reading lives and engage students with reading. In a casual atmosphere, Lesesne and Miller will chat about reading research, instructional moves, engagement strategies and resources, and of course, offer lots of book recommendations.

Teri Lesesne is a professor in the Library Sciences Department at Sam Houston State University and the Executive Secretary of the Assembly on Adolescent Literacy (ALAN). Teri is the author of Making the Match: The Right Book for the Right Reader at the Right Time (Stenhouse, 2003), Naked Reading: Uncovering What Tweens Need to Become Lifelong Readers (Stenhouse, 2006), and Reading Ladders: Leading Students From Where They Are to Where We’d Like Them to Be (Heinemann, 2010).

Donalyn Miller is one of the founders of the wildly popular Nerdy Book Club blog and the author of two books about engaging children with reading: The Book Whisperer: Awakening the Inner Reader in Every Child (Jossey-Bass, 2009) and Reading in the Wild: The Book Whisperer’s Keys to Cultivating Lifelong Reading Habits (Jossey-Bass, 2013). Miller has taught fourth, fifth, and sixth grades, and was a finalist for 2010 Texas Elementary Teacher of the Year. She currently serves as the Manager of Independent Reading Outreach for Scholastic Book Fairs.

During the Hangout on Air, Lesesne and Miller will share their personal experiences as readers, parents, grandparents, teachers, and provide suggestions for sparking students’ reading engagement. Attendees are invited to participate by asking questions and sharing their practical strategies for engaging readers. Every attendee for the live event will have a chance to win a signed copy of Lesesne’s Reading Ladders and Miller’s Reading in the Wild.

As part of the Hangout on Air, Lesesne and Miller will take questions via Twitter. Tweet yours using the hashtag #ILAhangout. The Hangout will stream live on the ILA YouTube page at 8:00 p.m. ET, and will be archived for later access.

Madelaine Levey is the communications intern for the International Literacy Association.

A wide array of literacy experts will hit the stage at the ILA 2015 Conference in St. Louis, MO. Learn classroom best practices, education reform, and quick tips with our full schedule of Featured Speakers.

Saturday, July 18:

Meenoo Rami (@MeenooRami)

A veteran of EduCon, #140edu, Urban Sites Conference for National Writing Project, and others, Meenoo Rami is no stranger to educational conferences. An English teacher at Philadelphia’s Science Leadership Academy, she pushes her students to think outside the box and connect themselves to the world beyond the classroom. Rami is the author of Thrive: 5 Ways to Re(Invigorate) Your Teaching and founder of #engchat, a Twitter chat that engages teachers across the United States to discuss English teaching techniques. She will be discussing the power of networking across classrooms, helping students to become active members of society.

Steven L. Layne (@StevenLayne)

In Defense of Read-Aloud, will highlight successful practices for read-aloud instruction. He is also the author of various children’s books, including The Teachers’ Night Before Christmas, an ILA/Children’s Book Council “Children’s Choice” book. Layne currently teaches children’s and young adult literature courses at Judson College in Elgin, IL and serves as a literacy consultant. Layne is well known for motivating educators through his talks.

Stephanie Harvey (@Stephharvey49)

After working in the public school system for 15 years, Stephanie Harvey worked as a staff developer for the Denver, CO–based Public Education & Business Coalition and is now president of her own consulting firm. As a passionate advocate for children’s reading and writing, Harvey has written many books, including Nonfiction Matters and The Comprehension Toolkit. Her session will include strategic tips for close reading and comprehension in K–12 literacy.

Jennifer Serravallo (@JSerravallo)

As a staffer at Columbia University’s Teachers College Reading and Writing Project and Vassar College, Jennifer Serravallo developed a passion for urban education reform and children’s literature. She is an active blogger and the author of the Association of Educational Publishers award-winning Independent Reading Assessmentin addition to The Literacy Teacher’s Playbook. Serravallo will be hosting a session to engage student motivation and growth through independent reading.

Sunday, July 19:

Pam Allyn (@pamallyn)

Pam Allyn, author, motivational speaker, and founder of global literacy initiative LitWorld, will be hosting a session dedicated to creating practices that meet the needs of students with varying reading and writing experience. As a 2013 Scholastic Literacy Champion, Allyn is the author of Your Child’s Writing Life and is a spokesperson for BIC Kids 2014 and BIC’s “Fight For Your Write” campaign.

Julie D. Ramsay (@JulieDRamsay)

Julie D. Ramsay, a sixth-grade ELA teacher, navigates the world of technology from her classroom and shares what she learns in her regular Literacy Daily column, Plugged In her personal blog, eduflections. She will discuss the importance of using digital tools and thinking critically to collaborate on classroom projects and engage in active writing inside and outside the classroom. She is the author of “Can We Skip Lunch and Keep Writing?” Collaborating in Class and Online, Grades 3–8and speaks at various conferences about student writing practices.

Christopher Lehman (@iChrisLehman)

As the founding director of The Educator Collaborative, Lehman supportsteachers and literacy coaches in implementing rigorous literacy instruction. He will be discussing techniques to assist students with voice-filled writing and critical thinking. Lehman is also the author of literacy books such as A Quick Guide to Reviving Disengaged Writers and Energize Research Reading and Writing.

The ILA 2015 Conference will be July 18–20 in St. Louis, MO, with more than 6,000 educators ready to transform their practice. Key topics affecting literacy featured at the conference include content literacy, children’s literature, classroom engagement, and professional development. In addition to conference favorites, there will be plenty of new features, such as the refreshed Teaching Edge series. More than 120 exhibitors will be on hand with new tools and technologies for all manners of literacy education.

Preconference institutes, which take place on July 17, offer an all-day deep dive into topics including culturally responsive instruction and building literacy through project-based learning. You do not need to register for the full Conference & Exhibits to take part in the preconference institutes.

Learn more about the conference program at ilaconference.org. Register today for the ILA 2015 Conference to take advantage of special Early Bird pricing.

Morgan Ratner is the communications assistant for ILA.

Consider the point where research meets the classroom as where the rubber meets the road. With the revamped Teaching Edge series at ILA 2015 Conference, expert researchers and practitioners will provide a map for teachers to transform their practice through academic study put into practice. The four sessions offer practical ideas for classroom buzzwords such as project-based learning (PBL), rigor, and close reading by breaking down research by academics and then reinforcing those findings through proven strategies by classroom teachers.

On Saturday, July 18, take a look at project-based instruction in the classroom with experts Nell Duke and Lynn Bigelman at “A Project-Based Place: Supporting Project-Based Instruction at the School Level.”

Duke is the author of several books, including Inside Information: Developing Powerful Readers and Writers of Informational Text Through Project-Based Instruction, which is copublished by ILA and Scholastic. Bigelman is the principal at a Michigan elementary school that uses PBL extensively. She trained staff in the practice when she started at a new school this year. The pair’s session will include practices that support PBL in schools.

Also on Saturday, Ruth Culham, Lester Laminack, and Kate Messner will lead a Teaching Edge session on how to help your students “steal” from authors and, in the process, learn to write.

Culham, author of The Writing Thief: Using Mentor Texts to Teach the Craft of Writing, will lead the session by the same name. During her career, Culham has perfected her method of grooming young writers through both the fiction and nonfiction they read and love. Beloved authors Laminack and Messner, who was a middle school teacher before becoming a full-time author, also encourage teachers to allow their students to steal from them. All three will be sure to share some of their favorite mentor texts as inspiration for teachers when they return to the classroom.

Culham and Messner were part of a team who discussed a similar topic during an October 2014 Google Hangout on Air, “Making the Most of Mentor Texts.” The Hangout is available on YouTube.

On Sunday, July 19, explore close reading in all genres with Lori Oczkus and Timothy Rasinski at their session, “Powerful Partners for Empowering Readers: Close Reading Workouts With Comprehension, Fluency, and Paired Texts.”

Oczkus, a classroom teacher and frequent Literacy Daily contributor, is the author of Best Ever Literacy Survival Tips: 72 Lessons You Can’t Teach WithoutandJust the Facts! Close Reading and Comprehension of Informational Text, copublished with Shell Education. Rasinski, a literacy education professor at Kent State University, is a prolific researcher who has authored more than 150 articles. His research interests include reading fluency and word study. He is a former coeditor of The Reading Teacher and is currently coeditor of the Journal of Literacy Research.

This session will share techniques for close reading, targeting informational text features and structures, methods for comparing and contrasting texts, and more.

Also on Sunday, crowd favorites Penny Kittle and Donalyn Miller will talk all about reader motivation in “Complex, Rigorous, and Social: Fostering Readerly Lives.” Learn with these authors how to empower young learners with opportunities and challenges. Kittle is the author of Book Love and founder of the Book Love Foundation that helps teachers build classroom librarians, and Miller is the author of The Book Whisperer. Kittle and Miller will hit on the motivating factors for lifelong reading: relevance, engagement, and success.

In preparation for their appearances at conference, Kittle will host the April #ILAchat on summer reading and learning, and Miller will cohost ILA’s next Google Hangout on Air, “Modeling Good Reading Habits.”

The ILA 2015 Conference will be July 18–20 in St. Louis, MO, with more than 6,000 educators ready to transform their practice. Key topics affecting literacy featured at the conference include content literacy, children’s literature, classroom engagement, and professional development. In addition to conference favorites, there will be plenty of brand new features like the Author Meetups. More than 120 exhibitors will be on hand with new tools and technologies for all manners of literacy education.

Preconference institutes, which take place on July 17, offer an all-day deep dive into topics including culturally responsive instruction and building literacy through project-based learning. You do not need to register for the full Conference & Exhibits to take part in the preconference institutes.

Learn more about the conference programs at ilaconference.org. Register today for the ILA 2015 Conference to take advantage of special Early Bird pricing.

April Hall is editor of Literacy Daily. A journalist for about 20 years, she has specialized in education, writing and editing for newspapers, websites, and magazines.