Literacy Now

Hockey camp? Basketball camp? Soccer camp? Tech camp? How about investing in a camp that is going to inspire lifelong learning?

The creation and implementation of a literacy camp was a long standing goal of the Sheard Literacy Center Director at SUNY Potsdam, Tina Wilson Bush. Working in collaboration with summer course instructor, Cindy Wells, Tina was able to see this dream realized. For the past three years SUNY Potsdam, a university in northern New York, has hosted a highly successful Summer Literacy Camp.

What happens at Literacy Camp? Campers are immersed in literacy activities–from arts, writing, technology, to outdoor games. Graduate students from the Literacy Specialist/Educator Program create developmentally appropriate active learning centers for the approximately 30 campers in grades K-6 to rotate through over the three days of attendance. Enthusiasm is high as students explore literacy through various modalities, tapping into their multiple intelligences.

Some of the “campers” would be considered struggling or striving readers and are encouraged to attend by teachers and parents. Others are there just for the fun of involvement in literacy. The college students follow the New York State Libraries’ Reading theme each summer via collaboration with the Potsdam Public Librarian, Sarah Sachs. They creatively coordinate ideas with the current summer’s theme. Time is also set aside to explore books and other interests during self-selected reading and “choice time.”

It is delightful to see a child lounging on comfy pillows in a blow up pool totally immersed in a book, reading with a mentor/buddy or acting out a book with puppets and props. Campers end the experience with comments such as, “Three days is not long enough!” and “I am coming back next year and I hope camp will be Monday to Friday!” These comments are welcome feedback that help gauge the success of the camp.

We are pleased to be assisted in this endeavor by the college administration, Corning, Inc., and students as well as the parents who support the camp by encouraging their children to attend. This camp offers a unique compliment to the many opportunities that summer brings. The Sheard Literacy Center Summer Camp strives to support lifelong learning through positive experiences for all attendees.

Cindy Wells is an instructor at SUNY Potsdam, wellsck@potsdam.edu.

 

This article was published in the April/May 2013 issue of Reading Today. IRA members can read the interactive digital version of the magazine here. Nonmembers: join today!

As the children of the Santa Barbara school in Guatemala waved goodbye to us, I reflected on how shocked I felt when visiting their building. The structure had actually been built by parents and it was just about devoid of resources. But the impression of impoverishment was quickly dispelled. The school was full of exuberant teachers and students, and the youngsters’ literacy accomplishments were strung on clotheslines around their tiny classrooms.

IRA volunteers from the U. S. have been working in Guatemalan schools for some time. In conjunction with our affiliate, the Consejo de Lectura, the Guatemalan Reading Association (GRA), they mentor and train teachers to initiate new literacy practices in their classrooms.

This February I was invited to speak at the GRA conference, where I brought greetings from IRA, and was able to witness for myself this extraordinary partnership.

A Principal’s Journey

Zully Patricia Soberanis Montes, principal at the Santa Barbara school, was trained as a teacher at the Instituto Normal Mixto Rafael Aqueche. However, the preparation she received there was not fully suited to the reality she experienced in Guatemalan classrooms. This limitation was eventually overcome by a fortunate encounter.

“I found out about the Reading Council (Consejo de Lectura) in 1995, when I was invited to attend a meeting,” Zully explains. “I was a traditional teacher; I taught what I had learned in school, using the same old methods. When my colleagues shared their classroom successes, and when I went to a workshop taught by international volunteers who taught me a new way to teach, I felt liberated. I was set free from my previous ideas that had kept me tied to mediocrity. I decided to change.”

IRA Past President Ken Goodman and his wife Yetta contribute time and energy to the Santa Barbara school project. Ken remembers that when Zully arrived at her school in 1988, “she found a single room made of corrugated steel.” Yet, in 2013, this facility—the Escuela Oficial Rural Mixta Santa Barbara—was honored by the Ministry of Education for its high quality instruction. Zully is proud of her accomplishments:

We were congratulated for the high level of reading achievement of our students (82%), and mathematics (76%). We are the first school in zones 17, 18, 24 and 25 to receive this recognition. In our school the children are thinking, analyzing, looking at information critically, evaluating, expressing themselves, and making decisions. That makes me happy.

We are helping students become more than machines copying lessons from books. Through stories, we are able to transmit knowledge, develop thinking skills, discover new topics, and much more. We are forming leaders, positive individuals who will take Guatemala to new heights.

The Reading Council brought a special gift to my life. I have become more committed to changing education, not only in my school or my area, but in the entire country.

Enter the Mondscheins

Zully is very conscious of the fact that outside assistance was a huge driver of this success story. Indeed, she describes Marcia and Gerald Mondschein both as the “parents” of the Guatemalan Reading Council, and as “visionaries who came to help us improve our educational system.” Who are the Mondscheins? The story picks up in 1989 when volunteer educators from Long Island, New York’s Nassau Reading Council began its work with volunteer Guatemalan educators to improve literacy in Guatemala.

Marcie Mondschein and her physician husband, Jerry, had traveled to Guatemala for a medical project that didn’t transpire. While there, they embarked on a life-changing adventure with a few Guatemalan teachers. The teachers were on strike, and Marcie simply began presenting impromptu workshops for them. Marcie and Jerry returned seven months later to exchange ideas and begin planning for the future. These visits, now biannual, have become the Nassau Reading Council’s International Literacy Project with Guatemala.

Scores of colleagues have since joined Marcie. More than one thousand Guatemalan public school teachers now attend the biannual conference and yearly workshops. Presenters have come from Central and South America, Puerto Rico, New Zealand, and 18 states in the U.S.

Today, six satellite councils of the Guatemala Reading Association hold monthly workshops for hundreds of teachers. When GRA held its first International Literacy Conference, more than 1,500 teachers attended. Marcie says that attendees were amazed that they had a choice of presentations to attend. This year Yetta Goodman was the Keynote Speaker. The teachers were honored that she would come to Guatemala to share her expertise with them.

In 1999 Guatemala was chosen as the site for the Latin American Regional Conference of the IRA. Since 1991, three or four Guatemalan public school teachers are regularly awarded scholarships from state councils to visit schools in New York and to attend local workshops. Through donations from several IRA state councils and the sale of Guatemalan crafts at the IRA Annual Convention and regional conferences, more than 500 mini-libraries of new high quality books in Spanish have been donated to the country’s schools.

Success

The Guatemala Literacy Project was formally recognized by IRA in 1996 when Marcie received the Constance McCullough Award for the most exemplary literacy project in a developing country. As Marcie notes,

We have witnessed positive change from this project. Many Guatemalan educators who have participated in this collaborative partnership have returned to higher education and have attained degrees. Some have become teacher trainers throughout Latin America, and several have published professional books for Guatemala’s teachers.

There has been significant change in the educational philosophy of Guatemala and a renewed teacher enthusiasm for education. We have seen classrooms where cooperative and collaborative learning occurs and children are now actively involved in learning. We have seen teachers who have renewed enthusiasm for their chosen profession.

She is quite clear on the key ingredients that have driven this accomplishment. To begin with, the decision-making process has always been done by the Guatemalans, not the Americans. GRA members decide workshop content and details, scholarship recipients, and which schools receive the mini-libraries. Decisions are based on teachers’ attendance at GRA/local meetings and their willingness to share expertise by organizing and/or by giving workshops themselves.

Moreover, the project has carefully maintained its independence from outside funding sources. The teachers who began the Guatemalan Literacy Project decided not to seek funding or grants. They wanted this project to sustain itself.

Teachers Looking Back

And what has the teachers’ experience been? One alumna of the program is Roselia Reyes Caballeros, a founder and member of the Reading Council of Guatemala. Roselia has now co-authored numerous education and language textbooks and has trained over 30,000 teachers nationwide. She observes, “The Reading Council has given me self-confidence and increased my self-esteem. Education has become more equitable. I am more proactive in my teaching.”

Another alumna, Luz María Ortíz García, teaches in San Juan Sacatepequez, Guatemala, a very conservative community that, according to Luz, typically practiced the traditional methods of learning. Luz explains that the biggest effect the Guatemala Reading Council has had on her, is her discovery of “how all learning is social, and given in a group, and so we learn in Council workshops, sharing experiences applied in classrooms that have success.” She continues:

It is wonderful to see that we share the same passion for reading teachers in different areas, with different styles. I find that the main ingredient in a successful experience is the teacher, who is a guide, a mediator, with powerful questions who can achieve the best out of students, without seeking a standard thought, but valuing and celebrating contributions from each. I thank the IRA for spreading this philosophy, which helps us, intentionally plan all our activities to build critical thinking.

Contagious Enthusiasm

Reflecting back on my visit, it is quite clear to me that the activity of the Guatemala Reading Association, and the work of Marcie Mondschein and other volunteers, is quite simply contagious. A literacy fever has taken hold in the country, and more and more teachers are joining ranks in the cause of higher literacy for all Guatemalans. Those educators who are fortunate enough to experience this professional development firsthand will feel its effects for years to come.

Jill Lewis-Spector is the vice president of the International Reading Association and a professor at New Jersey City University in Jersey City, NJ, jlewis-spector@/.

This article was originally published with additional sidebars in the April/May 2013 issue of Reading Today. IRA members can read the interactive digital version of the magazine here. Nonmembers: join today!

by Jane Arochas

After Hurricane Sandy devastated New Jersey towns in late October, the Reading Council of Southern New Jersey (RCSNJ) teamed up with Usborne Books and More to assist in rebuilding shore schools throughout the state. Mary Beth Spitz, Educational Consultant for Usborne, contacted RCSNJ with an idea that spiraled into contributions and donations from all over the world to help rebuild and reequip the shore’s schools. The ensuing project, entitled “Restore Our Shore Schools through LITERACY,” has produced over $75,000 to date in free book donations from fundraising events.

Publisher and Children’s Book Author Step In

Former “Jersey girl” and successful children’s author Michelle Nelson-Schmidt felt compelled to give back to the community. Local schools hosted Schmidt for a week of author visit/book signings throughout New Jersey free of charge. Her book entitled Jonathan James and the Whatif Monster has a message for everyone with worries and doubts. Schmidt was the perfect spokesperson to inspire schools throughout the state. Her positive message taught young and old that anyone can “follow their dreams and persevere.”

Author Michelle Nelson-Schmidt speaks to students

Community Night

The collaboration of RCSNJ and Usborne Books generated book sales which were matched with 100% free books to distribute to area shore towns affected by Hurricane Sandy. A related week of literacy events culminated on February 1, 2013 with a “Community Night” at Rowan University. The session was a gathering of shore school representatives who will be recipients of the Free Books Grant matched 100% by Usborne Books & More. It was an evening to thank local businesses, schools, and volunteers who made this outreach such a huge success.

RCSNJ was instrumental in networking with the local schools and businesses. Our websites, www.rcsnj.webs.com and www.facebook.com/rcsnj enabled communication of events, applications, and donations for distributions to the shore schools. Through the social media of Facebook and other websites, RCSNJ played an integral part in an outpouring of support which occurred from the project. Applications were submitted through RCSNJ and the council anticipates assisting several schools damaged by Sandy.

Numerous organizations contacted RCSNJ to donate books. A retired teacher in North Jersey gathered “1,000 books for Sandy.” An American military school in Germany inquired as to how to send books to shore schools. From Cub Scouts and Lion Cubs in Pennsylvania to schools in Texas and Indiana, there has been an enormous response to help those in need.

Mrs. Spoerl and Alicia Harrison donated 1,000 books 

The Task Continues

Our task is not over yet. We now have to distribute the many thousands of books to area shore schools who have applied for assistance. We look forward to assisting libraries and schools with Usborne Books & More. Providing books to the schools affected by Hurricane Sandy will ensure that future minds have the resources they need to better themselves.

Michelle Nelson-Schmidt, Jane Arochas, and Mary Beth Spitz

Jane Arochas is the president of RCSNJ (Reading Council of Southern New Jersey), jarochas@aol.com or rcsnjinfo@gmail.com.

This article is an addendum to an article from the December 2012/January 2013 issue of Reading Today. IRA members can read the interactive digital version of the magazine here. Nonmembers: join today!

At the International Reading Association, the activities of our state/provincial and local councils are integral to our mission of literacy outreach and professional development for educators. We celebrated them with these awards at the IRA 58th Annual Convention in April 2013 in San Antonio, Texas.

Exemplary Reading Program Award Winners
The following schools were given these awards through their state councils.

East Elementary School, Cullman, AL
Willis D. Shaw Elementary School, Springdale, AR
Blackwater Community School, Coolidge, AZ
Loomis Grammar School, Loomis, CA
Grove Avenue Elementary School, Barrington, IL
Tonganoxie Elementary School, Tonganoxie, KS
Arabi Elementary School, Arabi, LA
Reidsville Middle School, Reidsville, NC
Englewood Elementary School, Salem, OR
Loomis Elementary School, Broomall, PA
Campobello-Gramling Elementary School, Campobello, SC
Pi Beta Phi Elementary School, Gatlinburg, TN
Stewart Elementary School, Huntsville, TX
Belview Elementary, Radford, VA
School District of Fort Atkinson Elementary Schools, Fort Atkinson, WI
Blackwater Community School, Coolidge, AZ

 

Membership Achievement Awards

GOLD

Alaska State Literacy Association
Alberta Provincial Council
Connecticut Reading Association
Illinois Reading Council
Texas Association for Literacy Education (TALE)
Utah Council
Wisconsin State Reading Association

SILVER

North Dakota Reading Association
West Virginia Reading Association

BRONZE

Indiana State Reading Association
Minnesota Reading Association
New York State Reading Association

 

Student Membership Achievement Awards

GOLD

Alabama Reading Association
Arkansas Reading Association
Diamond State Reading Association
Georgia Reading Association
Idaho Council
Kansas Reading Association
Louisiana Reading Association
Maine Reading Association
North Carolina Reading Association
North Dakota Reading Association
Saskatchewan Reading Council
Vermont Council on Reading

SILVER

Indiana State Reading Association

 

Local Council Community Service Award

Cody Reading Council (Cody, WY)
Rindi Plambeck and Rebecca Davis, Co-Presidents

 

Advocacy Awards

Connecticut Reading Association
Cathy Mastrianna, President

Illinois Reading Council
Pat Braun, President

Louisiana Reading Association
Dorothy Young, President

Michigan Reading Association
Grace Velchansky, President

Oklahoma Reading Association
Lori Pendelton, President

Virginia State Reading Association
Valerie Robnolt, President

 

Awards of Excellence

Alabama Reading Association
Nancy Nix, President

Arizona Reading Association
Ollie Archambault, President

Arkansas Reading Association
Deborah Hardwick-Smith, President

British Columbia Literacy Council
Patricia Weaver, President

California Reading Association
Lynn Gurnee, President

Colorado Council
Hollyanna Bates, President

Diamond State Reading Association
Maureen Keeney, President

Florida Reading Association
Evan Lefsky, President

Georgia Reading Association
Lynn Minor, President

Illinois Reading Council
Patricia Braun, President

Indiana State Reading Association
Chris Judson, President

Iowa Reading Association
Anthony Pieper, President

Kansas Reading Association
Donita Shaw, President

Kentucky Reading Association
Diana Porter, President

Louisiana Reading Association
Dorothy Young, President

Manitoba Reading Association
Louise Duncan, President

State of Maryland IRA Council (SoMIRAC)
Marilyn Barber, President

Massachusetts Reading Association
Sherry Sausville, President

Michigan Reading Association
Grace Velchansky, President

Missouri State Council
Terry Sherer, President

Montana State Reading Council
Karen Hickey, President Elect

Nebraska State Reading Association
Cynthia Mangers Johnson, President

New Mexico State Council
Kristy Hays, President

New York State Reading Association
Peter McDermott, President

North Carolina Reading Association
Sandra Cook, President

North Dakota Reading Association
Gloria Jones, President

Oregon Reading Association
Carol Folk, President

Keystone State Reading Association
Susan Menser, President

Saskatchewan Reading Council
Gisele Carlson, President

South Carolina State Council
Callie Herlong, President

Tennessee Reading Association
Kathy McCollum Brashears, President

Virginia State Reading Association
Valerie Robnolt, President

Washington Organization for Reading Development (WORD)
Dawn Christiana, President

West Virginia Reading Association
Jone Hersch, President

Wisconsin State Reading Association
Janice Weinhold, President

 

Honor Councils

Year 1 Honor Council

Gila County Reading Council, AZ
Lynette Dyas, President

Nicholas County Reading Council, WV
Tony Nichols, President 

Year 2 Honor Councils

Connecticut Northwest Council, CT
Sandra Potts, President

Pennyrile Council, KY
Janet Walker, President

Year 3 Honor Councils

City of Seattle Council, WA
Denise Gudwin, President

IRA Student Literacy Council of the University of Delaware, DE
Cosimo Faella, President

Manitoba Council of Reading, Clinicians, MB
Monica Wiebe, President

Murray, Kentucky Area Council, KY
Chhanda Islam, President

Northern Illinois Reading Council, IL
Elizabeth Hoelting, President

Prairie Area Reading Council, IL
Ellen Kacic, President

West Suburban Reading Council, IL
Marlene Panebianco, President

Year 4 Honor Councils

Arkansas River Valley Reading Council, AR
Sandra Mitchell, President

East Central Indiana Council, IN
Chyenne Wilder, President

Edgefield Reading Council, SC
Ginger Wates, President

Illinois Title I Association, IL
Marilyn Cordes, President

Pinnacle Special Interest Reading Council, AR
Francie Ross, President

Year 5 Honor Councils

Blue Grass Area Council, KY
Lisa King, President

Crystal Coast Reading Council, NC
Dawn Simpson, President

Yavapai Reading Council, AZ
Joan Masaryk, President

Year 6 Honor Councils

Heritage Reading Council, AL
Lori Ann Gibson, President

Jacksonville Reading Council, AL
Lesley Bean, President

University of Mobile Reading Council, AL
Candace Early, President

Year 7 Honor Councils

Elmore County Reading Council, AL
Glenda Vanermen, President

Lake Cumberland Area Reading Council, KY
Christina Warinner, President

Sunset Reading Council, OR
Judy Fisher, President

Year 8 Honor Councils

Benton County Reading Council, TN
Karen Terry, President

Driftwood Reading Council, OR
Melia Jasso, President

Greater Louisville Council, KY
Synthia Shelby, President

Onslow-Lejeune Council, NC
Tracy McIntyre, President

Umpqua Reading Council, OR
Katrina Scott, President

Year 9 Honor Councils

Autauga Reading Council, AL
Faye Moore, President

Berkshire Reading Council, MA
Catherine Salvini, President

Connecticut Association for Reading Research, CT
Judy Stone Moeller, President

Northeast Louisiana Reading Association, LA
Dewanna Eady, President

Niagara Frontier Reading Council, NY
Patricia Oliphant, President

Two Rivers Council, IL
Julie Steinke, President

Year 10 Honor Councils

Bay County Reading Association, FL
Kathleen Fontaine, President

Delaware County Council
Annemarie Jay, President

Eastern Connecticut Reading Council, CT
Joanne Bell, President

Three Sisters Reading Council, OR
Mary Hawes, President

Upper Shore Reading Council, MD
Robin Plummer, President

Vineyard Valleys Reading Council, OR
Melinda Larson, President

Year 11 Honor Councils

Kent Council, MI
Martha Vermeulen, President

Northeast Montana Council, MT
Jane Kolstad, President

Sussex County Organization for Reading Excellence, DE
Lisa Burnham, President

Year 12 Honor Councils

Laurens County Reading Council, SC
Vicky Culbertson, President

Robeson Council, NC
Anthony Spallino, President

Tennessee Valley Reading Council, AL
Sharon Walker, President

Year 13 Honor Councils

Cherokee Reading Council, SC
Tina Morris, President

Kewetin Nene Council, SK
Debby Noble, President

Marshall County Reading Council, WV
Jennifer Lipinski, President

Northeast Arkansas Council, AR
Viola Snow, President

Year 14 Honor Councils

Arkadelphia Area Reading Council, AR
Kaila Murphy, President

Baldwin County Reading Council, AL
Linda Noble, President

Emerald Empire Council, OR
Karren Timmermans, President

Hamilton County Reading Council, IN
Amy Catania, President

Jesse Stewart Council, KY
Marcia Ellis, President

Massachusetts Association of College and University Reading Educators, MA
Jacy Ippolito, President

Mid-State Reading Council, IL
Janel Bolender, President

Newberry County Reading Council, SC
Pamela Cromer, President

Webster County Highlander Reading Council, WV
Aleda Hileman, President

Year 15 Honor Councils

Eastern Iowa Reading Council, IA
Julie Ortner, President

Greater Hartford Area Council, CT
Laura Caruso, President

Greater Paradise Valley Reading Council, AZ
Julie Berlin, President

Saluda Reading Council, SC
Meredith Miller-Rikard, President

South East Reading Council, SK
Joan Bue, President

Year 16 Honor Councils

Central Montana Reading Council, MT
Connie Metcalfe, President

East Central - EIU Reading Council, IL
Ingrid Minger, President

Flint Hills Council, KS
Roger Caswell, President

Washington Parish Reading Council, LA
Rita Mulina, President

Year 17 Honor Councils

Guam Council, GU
Jonathan Pilarca, President

Headwaters Reading Council, WI
Colleen Konicek, President

Mid-Shore Reading Council, MD
Elizabeth Coxon, President

Monmouth County Reading Council, NJ
Joyce Noren, President

Reading Council of Northern Delaware, DE
Cecilia McCormick, President

San Joaquin County Reading Association, CA
Anne Weisenberg, President

South Arkansas Reading Council, AR
Dana Kelly, President

Spartanburg County Council, SC
Amanda Cox, President

Year 18 Honor Councils

Cape Cod Council, MA
MaryEllen Caesar, President

Central Minnesota Reading Council, MN
Beth Laudenbauch, President

Fort Collins Council, CO
Laura Whale, President

Fox Valley Reading Council, WI
Teri Rucinsky, President

Piedmont Area Reading Council, VA
Joyce Spencer, President

Year 19 Honor Councils

Cook Inlet Council, AK
Elizabeth Zeuli, President

Gateway Reading Council, CA
Paula Aja, President

Jefferson County Council, AR
Kathy Carnahan, President

North Louisiana Reading Council, LA
Loretta Jaggers, President

Placer Area Reading Council, CA
Jenn Tverberg, President

Suburban Council, IL
Laura Polkoff, President

Year 20 Honor Councils

Chicago Area Reading Association, IL
Margaret Richek, President

Kent Council, DE
Kimberly Cole, President

Mason County Council, WV
Lei Sergent, President

Northwest Arkansas Council, AR
Donna Owen, President

Reading Council of Southern New Jersey, NJ
Jane Arochas, President

Southern Maryland Reading Council, MD
Linda Forrest, President

Year 21 Honor Councils

Central Arizona Reading Council, AZ
Carolee Sopicki, President

Chester County Reading Association, PA
Glendia Kennedy, President

Eisenhower Area Reading Council, KS
Janelle Riedy, President

Grant County Reading Council, AR
Tara Derby, President

Kanawha Council of International Reading Association, WV
Barbara Jones, President

New River Valley Reading Council, VA
Peggy Kincaid, President

Piedmont Reading Council, SC
Denise Schweikart, President

SEARK Reading Council, AR
Julie Workman, President

Three Rivers Reading Council, AR
Michele Newnum, President

Twin Rivers Council, NC
Janet Zinni, President

Year 22 Honor Councils

Berkeley Reading Council, SC
Cathy Delaney, President

East San Gabriel Valley, CA
Melissa Lowry, President

Madison Area Reading Council, WI
Janet Farnan, President

Mid-Hudson Council, NY
Mary Ann Zuccaro, President

Tri-County Reading Council, PA
Penny Naugle, President

Year 23 Honor Councils

Cecil Council, MD
Jessica Kubek, President

Lake Washington Council, WA
Cim Dew, President

Rainbow Reading Council, AL
Felicia Chambers, President

Raleigh-Wake Council, NC
Anita Stack, President

Rogue Valley Council, OR
Tonya Noon-Toledo, President

Smoky Mountain Reading Council, TN
Tammy Madon, President

Year 24 Honor Councils

Carroll Reading Council, MD
Joanne Dicke, President

Eastern Shore Reading Council, MD
Michelle Shreeves, President

Frederick County Reading Council, MD
Kathleen Reifschneider, President

Lancaster-Lebanon Reading Council, PA
Carol Severance, President

North Central Reading Association, ND
Amy Engelhard, President

Shenandoah Valley Reading Council, VA
Sandra Proctor, President

Southeast Regional Reading Council, MA
Janice Standring, President

Year 25 Honor Councils

Duval County Reading Council, FL
Sandra Pruitt, President

Moore County Council, NC
Misty Clark, President

Nassau Reading Council, NY
Kathleen Conway-Gervais, President

Pikes Peak Council, CO
Claudia Miller, President

Roanoke Valley Council, VA
Charles Richards, President

Weld County Reading Council, CO
Michele Warner, President

Year 26 Honor Councils

Colonial Association of Reading Educators Council, PA
Kathleen Sagl, President

Metro-Mobile Reading Council, AL
Pamela McDade, President

Phyllis Allen Smith
North Shore Council, MA
Holly Banusiewicz, President

Western Kentucky Council, KY
Sara Jennings, President

Year 27 Honor Councils

Anne Arundel Reading Council, MD
Beth Burke, President

Central Wisconsin Reading Council, WI
Amber Garbe, President

Gary Reading Council, IN
Lolita Good-Lewis, President

Midland Empire Reading Council, MT
Janelle Wilson, President

Portland Council of IRA, OR
Barbara Kutasz, President

Reading Council of Greater Winnipeg, MB
Cindy Thiessen, President

Wood County Reading Council, WV
Lois Meadows, President

Year 28 Honor Councils

Capital Reading Council, OR
Kathleen Moran, President

Central Arkansas Council, AR
Daisy Hunt, President

Chesapeake Reading Council, VA
Heather Bailey, President

Euclid Council, OH
Hannah Szabo, President

Evansville Area Reading Council, IN
Holly Titus, President

Geary County Council, KS
Rolinda Smith, President

Howard County Council, MD
Maria Moy, President

Jefferson County Council, CO
Dana Plewka, President

Phoenix West Council, AZ
Melissa Selby, President

Tennessee Tech Council, TN
Michele Campbell, President

Year 29 Honor Councils

Alameda County Reading Association, CA
Jeannette Alday, President

Brooklyn Reading Council, NY
Milton Mayers, President

Cabell County Council, WV
Tina Cooper, President

Columbia Area Reading Council, SC
Evette Bradley, President

Contra Costa Reading Association, CA
Tanya Leyden, President

Hardy Reading Council, IA
Karla Bronzynski, President

Harrison County Reading Council, WV
Chrisanne Diaz, President

Lee’s Summit Reading Council, MO
Julie Caldwell, President

Marion County Reading Council, WV
Twyla Rote, President

Mid-Valley Council, OR
Cheryl Graham, President

Nobscot Council, MA
Marlene Correia, President

North Central Arkansas Reading Council, AR
Jeanne Harvey, President

North Central Council, TN
Mary Truka, President

Palmetto Council, SC
Brenda Capps, President

St. Louis Suburban Council, MO
Thomas Cornell, President

Tulsa County Reading Council, OK
Tulagina Smith, President

Wayne County Reading Council, MI
Hakim Shahid, President

Year 30 Honor Councils

Arrowhead Reading Council, MN
Pamela Tomassoni, President

Central New York Council, NY
Kathryn Lester, President

Delaware Valley Reading Association, PA
Ann Finore, President

Metropolitan Reading Council, NE
Janet Larson, President

Sacramento Area Reading Association, CA
Meg Gillman, President

Springfi eld Council, MO
Sarah Logan, President

Tucson Area Council, AZ
Kathryn Bell, President

West Jersey Reading Council, NJ
Susan Yoder, President

Year 31 Honor Councils

Central Nebraska Reading Council, NE
Rebecca Bartlett, President

Erie Reading Council, PA
Anna Landers, President
Greater Boston Council, MA
Jean Helstrom, President

Greater San Diego Reading Association, CA
Maureen Begley, President

Greater Washington Reading Council, VA
Kathryn Miller, President

Harford County Reading Council, MD
Lisa Komondor, President

Newport News Reading Council, VA
Sherry Edbauer, President

Orange County Reading Association, CA
Megan Sommers

Richmond Area Reading Council, VA
Debi Buck, President

Santa Clara County Reading Council, CA
Kari Ito, President

Virginia Beach Reading Council, VA
Jennifer Haws, President

 

Read more about these and other awards on the International Reading Association awards and grants webpage. Learn more about councils or find your local council on the IRA councils page.

 

At the IRA 58th Annual Convention in April 2013 in San Antonio, Texas, we gathered to celebrate our members from around the world. The following members and international affiliates were recognized for their service to the field of literacy. 

Constance McCullough Award

Carla Jean Raynor, A Growing and Developing Society— Intergenerational Learning with Families at the Core Bhutan

Global Volunteer Award

Dr. Anne Sustik, Illinois Reading Association

Dr. Janet Condy, Reading Association of South Africa

International Membership Development Awards

Perhimpunan Baca-Tulis Masyarakat (PBTM), Indonesia

Sindh-Balochistan Reading Council, Pakistan

Literacy Projects in Countries with Developing Economies

Beatrice Tafon Takeh, Children’s Book Club, Cameroon

Dr. Apolonia Tamata, Evaluating the Information Text Awareness Project (ITAP) and Documenting Localized Teaching Practices in Fiji, Fiji

Majidova Robiya Abduvalievna, Reading Club for Young Learners in Kairakkum, Tajikistan

Dr. Pinheiro Angela Maria Veira, The Professionalization of Literacy Teachers in Brazil, Brazil

Hadi Tabassum Samina, Teach for India, India

Margaret Muthiga, Reading to Rebuild and Nourish, Argentina

Melina Porto, Developing Critical Thinking Skills in Spanish Speaking Argentina, Argentina

Geraldine Nanjala, Library Program in Ndege Primary Schools, Kenya

United Kingdom Association Literacy Awards

UKLA Book Award - Awarded every year. The only national book award judged by teachers, and shadowed by student teachers. Chair - Lynda Graham

Iris & Isaac by Catherine Rayner
3-6 years category
Published by Little Tiger Press

Sky Hawk by Gill Lewis
7-11 years category
Published by Oxford University Press

A Monster Calls by Patrick Ness
12- 16 years category,
Illustrated by Jim Kay, published by Walker Books

UKLA/Wiley-Blackwell Research in Literacy Education Awards - Awarded every year.
Shortlists drawn up by panel convened by editors of JRR (Clare Wood) and Literacy (Cathy Burnett and Julia Davies). Panel chaired by Jackie Marsh.

Journal of Research in Reading (JRR)
Melby-Lervåg, M., Lervåg, A. (2011) Cross-linguistic transfer of oral language, decoding, phonological awareness and reading comprehension: a meta-analysis of the correlational evidence.
Journal of Research in Reading. Vol 34:1 pp.114-135

Literacy
Moss.G., (2011) Policy and the search for explanations for the gender gap in literacy attainment.
Literacy. Vol 45:3 pp.111-118

UKLA Academic Book Award - Awarded every two years

2011 Winner: Margaret Mallett
Choosing and using fiction and Non-Fiction 3-11

UKLA Literacy School of the Year: A school where literacy thrives- This is a new award

Frederick Bird School, Coventry

John Downing Award - Awarded every two years. Awarded to inspirational, creative teachers of literacy.

2011 Winner Jo Scott
Rowley Lane Junior
Infant and Nursery School, Huddersfield

New Zealand Awards

New Zealand Literacy Association Honour Council Awards

Auckland
Manawatu
Otago
Waikato
Hawkes Bay

New Zealand Literacy Association Marie Clay Literacy Trust International Literacy Conference Travel Award

Jane Carroll, Otago Reading Association
Awarded for travel to Spain for the International Workshop on Reading and Developmental Dyslexia

International Reading Association Award for Innovative Reading Promotion in Europe

Yvonne Mullan, Reading Association of Ireland (RAI)
An Intervention to Improve the Literacy Skills of Deaf Children

For more information on awards and grants, visit the IRA awards webpage.