The International Literacy Association (ILA) announced today the appointment of five literacy scholars from Michigan State University as incoming editors for The Reading Teacher (RT), the leading peer-reviewed journal for educators of literacy learners up to age 12. Their four-year term begins on July 1, 2020.

The new editors are as follows:

Tanya Wright, Senior Editor

Patricia Edwards, Coeditor

Laura Tortorelli, Associate Editor

Lucía Cárdenas Curiel, Associate Editor

Shireen Al-Adeimi, Associate Editor

Wright, Edwards, and Tortorelli all have long histories of service and engagement with ILA. Edwards, in fact, is a past president of the International Reading Association (now the International Literacy Association). The team's collective research interests include foundational skills, biliteracy, and family engagement.

“Together, our work spans a broad range of ages, developmental stages, and critical focus areas,” they noted in their application.

“As we welcome this extraordinary editorial team, we also usher in a new era for The Reading Teacher,” said ILA Executive Director Marcie Craig Post. “The perspectives they bring, combining both established and rising voices in the field, will be critical in our mission to elevate the reach of the journal and explore new opportunities for engagement.”

Among those opportunities: a robust strategy for leveraging social media, which the team believes is key to amplifying the journal’s content. Plans include a podcast series with authors and fostering discourse on Twitter.  

RT has provided educators with practical teaching ideas grounded in theory and research for more than 60 years. The journal focuses on primary and elementary classroom instruction and is written by educators for educators, providing practical, evidence-based teaching ideas, articles to help educators transform research into effective practice, and information on the most critical issues in teaching and professional development.