Literacy Now

The following talented researchers, some quite accomplished and some at the beginnings of their careers, were recognized at a ceremony in San Antonio on Saturday, April 20, 2013, at the International Reading Association's 58th Annual Convention.

 

2013 IRA Esther Zolt Academic Research Grants

Josephine Marsh, Lettice Pelotte, and David Krauter, Arizona State University, Phoenix, Arizona
“Inter-grad Digital Discussions: An E-Pal Project Using In2Books”

Elizabeth M. Hughes, Duquesne University, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
“Motivating Students to Achieve: The Impact of a Pen Pal Program on Students’ Achievement and Motivation” 

This award is sponsored by Nina Zolt and Miles Gilburne to honor the memory of Esther Zolt.

 

2013 IRA Dina Feitelson Research Award

Michael J. Kieffer, New York University, New York, New York
“Converging Trajectories: Reading Growth in Language Minority Learners and Their Classmates, Kindergarten to Grade 8,” published in American Educational Research Journal, 48(5), 1187–1225, October 2011
This award is sponsored by Jehuda Feitelson to honor the memory of Dina Feitelson.

 

2013 IRA Jeanne S. Chall Research Fellowship

Susan Gray, The City University of New York, New York, New York
“Adult Literacy and Citizenship: Empowering Struggling Readers with Morphological Instruction and Civics”

 

2013 IRA Steven A. Stahl Research Grant

Angela Williams, Virginia Tech, Blacksburg, Virginia
“Using Students’ Perceptions and the MUSIC Model of Academic Motivation to Improve Reading Motivation and Achievement in an Elementary Classroom”
This grant is sponsored by Katherine A. Stahl to honor the memory and work of Steven A. Stahl.

 

2013 IRA Elva Knight Research Grants

Tanya Christ, Oakland University, Rochester, Michigan
X. Christine Wang, University at Buffalo, The State University of New York, Buffalo, New York
“How Emergent Readers Explore and Develop Skills and Strategies for Reading Digital Texts”

Amy Stornaiuolo, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
“Exploring Social Reading: Adolescents’ Literacy Practices in an Interactive Reading Community”

 

2013 IRA Helen M. Robinson Research Grant 

Eric Claravall, San Francisco State University, San Francisco, California
“Examining the Potential of the Teacher as Researcher Model in Developing Morphological Awareness Among Struggling Readers”

2013 IRA Teacher as Researcher Grants

Rachael Cooper, Thurgood Marshall Academy Lower School, New York, New York

Jodene Morrell, Columbia University, New York, New York
“Using Multicultural Literature to Increase and Improve Diverse Urban Third Graders’ Socioemotional Wellness, Cultural Awareness, and Writing”

Peta Gresham, The King’s School, North Parramatta, Australia
“Pedagogy, Technology, and Creativity: Fostering Student Achievement in Senior English”

Michelle Gunderson, Nettelhorst Elementary School, Chicago, Illinois
“Teachers’ Approaches to Intervention Planning for Struggling Readers Using an RtI Framework”

Rawia Hayik, Eilaboun Elementary School, Eilaboun, Israel
“Through Their Eyes: Israeli-Arab Students Speak Up Through Participatory Documentary Photography Projects”

Danielle Kachorsky, Precision Academy, Phoenix, Arizona
“Young Adult Literature as a Bridge to the Canon”

 

2013 IRA Albert J. Harris Award

Lynn M. Gelzheiser, University of Albany, Albany, New York
Donna Scanlon, University of Albany, Albany, New York
Frank Vellutino, University of Albany, Albany, New York
Laura Hallgren-Flynn, University of Albany, Albany, New York
Christopher Schatschneider, Florida State University, Tallahassee, Florida
“Effects of the Interactive Strategies Approach— Extended: A Response and Comprehensive Intervention for Intermediate-Grade Struggling Readers,” published in The Elementary School Journal, 112(2), 280–306, December 2011

 

2013 IRA Outstanding Dissertation of the Year

Byeong-Young Cho, Iowa State University, Ames, Iowa; dissertation from the University of Maryland; chaired by Peter P. Afflerbach; dissertation title:
“Adolescents’ Constructively Responsive Reading Use in a Critical Internet Reading Task”
The IRA Outstanding Dissertation Award is sponsored by SchoolRise, LLC.

 

2013 IRA Outstanding Dissertation of the Year Finalists

Vicki S. Collet, dissertation from the University at Buffalo, State University of New York; chaired by Mary McVee; dissertation title:
“The Gradual Increase of Responsibility: Scaffolds for Change”

Rebecca S. Donaldson, dissertation from the Utah State University; chaired by D. Ray Reutzel; dissertation title:
“What Classroom Observations Reveal About Primary Grade Reading Comprehension Instruction Within High Poverty Schools Participating in the Federal Reading First Initiative”

Darcy Anne Fiano, dissertation from the University of Connecticut; chaired by Mary Anne Doyle; dissertation title:
“Primary Discourse and Expressive Oral Language in a Kindergarten Student”

Lindsay P. Grow, dissertation from the University of Kentucky; chaired by Janice F. Almasi; dissertation title:
“The Identity Development of Preservice Teachers of Literacy in Field Experiences Considering Their Prior Knowledge”

Andrew P. Huddleston, dissertation from the University of Georgia; chaired by Donna Alvermann; dissertation title:
“Making the Difficult Choice: Understanding Georgia’s Test- Based Grade Retention Policy in Reading”

Charlene Sue Huntley-Martin, dissertation from the University of Oklahoma; chaired by Priscilla Griffith; dissertation title:
“A Study of Factors that Contribute to Pre-Service Teachers’ Sense of Efficacy for Literacy Instruction”

Elizabeth L. Jaeger, dissertation from University of California, Berkeley; chaired by P. David Pearson; dissertation title:
“Understanding and Supporting Vulnerable Readers: An Ecological Systems Perspective”

Michael L. Manderin, dissertation from the University of Illinois at Chicago; chaired by Cynthia Shanahan; dissertation title:
“Reading Across Multiple Multimodal Texts in History”

Darcie D. Smith, dissertation from the University of Nevada, Reno; chaired by Shane Templeton; dissertation title:
“How Do 4th, 5th, and 6th Grade Students’ Categories of Cognitive Reflections in Interviews on Derivational Morphology Compare to Their Upper Level Spelling Inventory Orthographic Knowledge?”

 

Learn more about these awards and grants at /awards.

 

In its July 2, 2013 blog post, the IRA Literacy Research Panel responds to the June 17, 2013 release of the controversial Teacher Prep Review by the National Council on Teacher Quality (NCTQ). Noting the methodological and conceptual flaws in the NCTQ report, as well as issues raised by NCTQ’s own Audit Committee, the IRA Literacy Research Panel asserts that the report “should never have seen the light of day.” However, the panel emphasized that NCTQ’s flawed methodology was not the focus of its own response.

Instead, the Literacy Research Panel stated that its purpose in commenting is “to look forward to what we can do as a profession, and as a nation, to improve teacher education.” Whether NCTQ could ever be joined in a common agenda, averred the panel, would necessarily depend on NCTQ’s willingness to reconsider its methodology and to expand the set of criteria and standards that it applies to teacher education program evaluation.

The panel’s response goes on to enumerate three distinct issues occasioned by the disconnect between the standards and methods of NCTQ and what literacy professionals know is effective for teacher education.

Standards of Accountability for Teacher Educators

With respect to the appropriate standards of accountability for teacher educators, the panel notes that NCTQ uses 17 standards to assess the quality of teacher education programs. Yet despite this apparent amplitude, there are conspicuous omissions of critical factors from the NCTQ perspective. The panel catalogues this deficit in detail, observing the NCTQ benchmark omits anything to do with speaking, listening, or writing, the role of text in discipline-based learning, diversity, instructional groups, motivation and engagement, and metacognition.

According to the panel, NCTQ adds to the confusion by not making clear how certain of its own standards apply to which programs, primary or secondary.  Moreover, the panel zeroes in on NCTQ’s use of the so-called “five pillars” in the report of the National Reading Panel (NRP) as a standard for ranking teacher prep schools. While acknowledging that these topics are critical, the Literacy Research Panel notes that the five pillars are, in themselves, “by no means sufficient.” Indeed, the panel cites language from the NRP itself for the proposition that the five pillars are not exhaustive of what prospective teachers need to learn.

Stakeholders in Improving Teacher Education

The Literacy Research panel also takes issue with the tacit assumption of the Teacher Prep Review that, until publication of this report, no one else connected with teacher education research and development “was concerned enough about the quality of teacher education to worry about its improvement.” Nor, as the panel observes, is there “any attempt to review the knowledge base in teacher education.” The panel summarizes well known resources and databases that the NCTQ vetting team might have consulted, but did not do so.

This deficit is especially puzzling with respect to IRA itself. As the panel makes clear, “IRA has a long history of providing leadership in teacher education, with multiple efforts in the last decade.” Examples cited by the panel include: IRA Standards for Reading Professionals – Revised 2010; IRA Involvement with Teacher Education Accreditation, Position Papers, and Research Reports; Prepared to Make a Difference (2003); and IRA Certification of Distinction for the Reading Preparation of Elementary and Secondary Teachers. These resources cover many of the substantive program standards espoused in the NCTQ report.

Common Goals for Improvement of Teacher Education

The Literacy Research Panel also takes strong exception to NCTQ’s privileging of training over preparation in the education of prospective teachers, valuing generalized technical skill over situated and highly contextualized knowledge.  As the panel states, “implicit in this choice is the assumption that teaching is more a trade than a profession.” With this proposition the panel could not disagree more, explaining the difference as follows: “For the trainer, the knowledge is a recipe or routine to be enacted faithfully; for the educator, it is significant information that guides practice in concert with multiple related pieces of research-based knowledge.”

In concluding its response, the panel challenges NCTQ’s bona fides as a stakeholder in the cause of improving education, urging NCTQ to reject “the current strategy of trying to shame programs into compliance by subjecting their practices to an unprofessional evaluation and holding superficial records up to public ridicule.” The best path forward, the panel opines, would be for NCTQ “to join those of us who have labored in the field for decades to promote improvement through research, researched-based practice, and exemplary programs.”

P. David Pearson, University of California, Berkeley, and Virginia Goatley, University of Albany, authored the response, with contributions from Karen Wixson, University of North Carolina, Greensboro; Peter Afflerbach, University of Maryland; Gloria Ladson-Billings, University of Wisconsin-Madison; Catherine Snow, Harvard Graduate School of Education; and William Teale, University of Illinois, Chicago.

 

The voting period for the 2013 IRA Board election closed on February 11, the ballots have been tabulated, and the results have been confirmed.

Maryann Manning, Distinguished Professor Emerita, Literacy, The University of Alabama at Birmingham (UAB), has been elected as IRA’s vice president for 2013-2014.

Three new board members were also elected: 

Bernadette Dwyer, Lecturer in Literacy Studies in Education, St. Patrick’s College, Dublin, Ireland

Laurie Elish-Piper, Professor, Department of Literacy Education, Northern Illinois University, DeKalb, Illinois

Julianne Scullen, Teaching and Learning Specialist for Secondary Reading, Anoka-Hennepin Public Schools, Anoka, Minnesota

Their terms will run from 2013 to 2016.

The entire IRA community extends best wishes to the newly elected vice president and board members.

Jim Serger, Jr. has been compared to the “Energizer Bunny,” and we can see why. He not only decided to bike from Carmel, Indiana to Orlando, Florida with his friend Scott Golden, but he was determined that his 1,033-mile ride would make a difference for causes important in his life. The four nonprofits he donated to—the International Reading Association, The Prospect House, the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention, and the Multiple Myeloma Research Foundation—all had personal connections for Serger. He loves to read, but the story of his bibliophilia is the product of his characteristic dynamism as well. Serger was a reluctant reader in school and admits to avoiding reading books for the 20 years after he graduated from college. Reading Today interviewed Serger about how he picked up reading again and why sharing the value of literacy is such a significant part of his life.

Reading Today: Thank you for your generosity to the International Reading Association! How did you hear about us?

Jim Serger, Jr.: I heard about International Reading Association through of course, reading a book on why to read. The book is called Read for Your Life by Pat Williams with Peggy Matthews Rose [HCI]. In this piece both authors talk about groups who promote the benefits of reading, and of course, yours was in there. Upon finishing the book I looked up your site and was really moved as to what your emphasis was—READING—and how to educate others on the importance of receiving that message.

RT: You say that reading "changed you." How so?

JS: I had not read a single book in 20 years. In February of 2010 I met an author/teacher who challenged everyone to read 15 minutes a day. That equates to 5,475 minutes in a year or 91.25 hours in a year. “Think of all the books you can read,” he said. We all have the time—just take 15 minutes out of your day, and watch the magic take over. I said I would give it a try. In the one year since I met the author I read 71 books. Then in 2011 I read 63 books, and so far this year I have read 43 books. I track from February to February. Reading has given me a new outlook on life—I am challenged daily by my reading. Now I read one hour a day, sometimes reading two books in one week. I find myself focusing on what is important, TV has gone to the wayside, and I am doing better in Jeopardy—I can't give that up. I go to bed earlier and I get up earlier. My family is now huge readers—my wife and I picked it up at the same time—and now our eight-year-old sees us and has been engaged from the word “go.” I speak clearer, I talk slower, I am a better writer, I can explain information to others better, and my confidence level has risen. I wrote my first book with my dad in 2011, called Go the Distance [Advantage Media Group]. I have always been outgoing, always willing to take a chance—but through reading they are now calculated risks—risks worth perusing and benefiting me and others. I go to church more. I read the Bible.  I have spoken with old high school and college friends, fraternity brothers, and old navy friends. I have seen a difference in my physical abilities as well—I worked out all the time in college and in the Navy—today over the last 24 months I have been on a regular routine—reading gave me structure, gave me meaning as to what is important and what is not.

RT: Which genres do you like to read?

JS: I read self-help books. I enjoy the Bible, business, motivational, sports, biography, and memoirs. I had not read the Bible in over 25 years since leaving McNicholas High School in Cincinnati—I just thought there was one version and one version only. Through reading I found out there are thousands of versions, from Fellowship of Christian Athletes to Leadership. Now I can narrow down which type I would like to read. It is fun and challenging, and I can learn more easily.

RT: Do you like to read books just the "old-fashioned way" in paper, or do you also like to read books on devices like Kindles and SmartPhones and listen to recorded books?

JS: I enjoy reading the old-fashioned hard copies of the book. When I started reading I just read the book from start to finish, but as I continued on reading I started to highlight and take notes in the book, which I dog-ear for reference. I also enjoy looking in my office at the stack of books I finished—it is a symbol of my efforts to read. Reading did not come easy to me, so to look at my efforts is rewarding. I have a 25-minute drive to work, and I started listening to books on CD. That is 50 minutes a day and 4.16 hours a week I can listen to books as well. I have heard all the songs over and over, plus with an eight-year-old who loves Radio Disney, I still can catch up on the popular music. I have not listened to audio books through smart phone or shuffle, but I would be willing to give it a try.

RT: Can you offer any advice to people who were "reluctant readers" in school and are starting to read again as adults?

JS: When I was a reluctant reader, I would rather watch a movie, sports game, TV show, or whatever else to take up my time. I hated to read—reading is what doctors do, lawyers do, and of course teachers tell you that you have to do. Basically I was fighting the cause, I was the rebel. “Reading, who has time for that?” Boy, I sure was wrong. I missed out for 20 years. If I started 20 years ago, today I could say I have read 1,400 books instead of almost 200. Better late than never! The best advice is this: give up one thing you can live with out in your daily routine and fill it in with 15 minutes of reading—not one hour, just 15 minutes. Give it 30 days, and 15 minutes will be 20, 25, 30 minutes. Soon, after 60 days, it will be 60 minutes or even 90. Stay on course—everything takes 30 days to become routine, and it works.

RT: IRA's Annual Convention theme is "Celebrating Teachers Making a Difference." Did any of your school teachers make a difference in your life? If so, how?

JS: Teachers are the reason I can read. We see the sign "If you can read this, thank a teacher." It is so true. I was fortunate to have excellent teachers through grade school and high school, two of which stand out: Mr. Pierson and Mrs. Horning. Each one of them made a difference in my life. As a matter of fact I am still in contact with them today. They brought out the best in me, and also were not afraid to challenge me. They new when I was giving it my all or when they needed to add a spark or two. Today I have another great teacher whom I learn a ton from through his actions and through his writing: Pat Williams, SR VP of the Orlando Magic, author of 75 books, motivational teacher, and father of 19 children (14 adopted). I have only met him two times, but he teaches people through his writing, through his actions, and through his commitment to educating people on the benefits of reading. Teachers never stop—even at 75 years old, they still continue to make a difference year in and year out. Another great teacher I had passed away a few years ago—Mr. Fanning. He was my dad's teacher as well as mine. He was a people person, a down-to-earth type teacher, not too hard and not too easy, but one that brought the best out of each student and understood each student is different than the other. He worked with the gifted and the ones who needed more efforts. He was very even-keeled, and up to his passing he was touching people’s lives. That is the difference teachers make—they never give up touching peoples hearts and of course minds.

RT: You say your second-grade daughter is an avid reader. How have the adults in her life—you, her teachers, librarians—helped her?

JS: The biggest reason my daughter is an avid reader is because she makes a choice at eight years old to read books. But why does she make the choice? Because she sees mom and dad are enjoying reading and her teachers love reading. Monkey see, monkey do. It all started with her in kindergarten. Her teacher said, “read to your kids every single day.” Today Maggie is in second grade, and she has an excellent system to follow, which is set up by the school and followed by her teacher Miss Nevogt. Miss Nevogt shares the program of what is called the daily five. All children do five work stations: Read to self, read to another student, listen to reading, work on writing, and word work. Miss Nevogt also reads aloud to the students for 20 minutes a day, but it is not just reading it is engaging the students. In that 20 minutes the children ask questions, understand the meaning of the book and the story line. So this exercise is not teacher to student—it is student to teacher, and teacher back to student. BOTH are tied up in the exercise, and it is fun for the students and the teacher to engage this atmosphere daily. 

RT: Do you have any advice for parents trying to get their children to read more often?

JS: Reading: if you do it, they will do it. If you don't, they won't. School and home are two different things—like peanut butter and jelly—separate they are no good on a sandwich, together it is the best thing in the world (to me). So we have to do the same at home as they would in school, fuse the two and become one, make home like school, make reading a part of home life as it is in their daily activity in school, allow children to read what they want to read as long as they are reading. Trucks, lizards, homes, countries, Presidents, fossils, dinosaurs, snakes, birds, Dr. Seuss, poems, plays, etc....Let them pick the subject matter and watch them soar. Read along side with them, help them understand the content, but also encourage them to read in their rooms, on their own. Unplugging the TV is so easy, just set up a time to do homework, and reading is right there with it. 15 minutes of that is it on reading, then 15 minutes turns into 45. Make it fun, ask questions when they are done. Ask who the author was, look them up on the computer, look up the publishing company, look up where the author lives. Engage them to look beyond the book, look at 365 degrees of the book, what it is made of, is it recycled material, who took the pictures, who edited the book, where are the books made? Look far down the road, be creative and your child will be creative. Teachers are always searching for new material to keep kids eyes and brains focused. We as parents can do the same. Read the book, and then go outside. Take what they read and put it in motion—play time can still be learning time. Children still need to be children, so make reading FUN.

RT: Any plans for future long rides?

JS: Riding a bicycle down to Florida from Indiana was an experience beyond anything I could describe to anyone. It took me places I have never seen, down roads and towns I never thought existed. I learned first hand on what it means to be out among mother nature—the hillsides, the farms, the small towns we read about, the countryside, the lay of the land. It was so much fun. As far as future rides, yes there is a vision. But it is about giving back that made this ride so special. Giving back to others and putting myself second are what I learned about this adventure. This is like anything else we do, something has to give in order for us to get the results we want. With picking up a book and starting, something else has to be put down. I logged 1,400 miles for training, in that time I had to put other interests to the back burner. I had to focus on the task at hand. Reading a book is like the bicycle journey, we can be taken anywhere, any time to any place. We just have to pick up the book and read to get there. 

RT: Wouldn't it be great if you could read while biking?

JS: It would be wonderful if we could read while biking. It would be wonderful if we could read while driving a car and while running a marathon. READING is so much fun; I only wish I had taken it up years ago. I saw it as a burden, instead of a need. I need reading, like a doctor needs to scrub his hands. I need reading in my life, like a dog needs to be walked. Thankfully, with today's technology we are able to read or listen to books anywhere at any given time—SmartPhones, iPad, shuffle, CD, Kindle, Nook, and good old fashion hard copies. As far as reading while riding a bicycle, I don't think technology can catch up with that, but if we listen [to a recorded book] with one bud in and the other out for safety, we can still listen to a book and exercise at the same time.

Read more about Serger on his website at http://jimserger.com/.

The International Reading Association is a 501(c)(3) tax-exempt charitable organization, and your contribution will help us in our goal to promote reading and literacy for all. Any gift, regardless of the amount, is greatly appreciated.  Please mail contributions made out to “IRA” to: International Reading Association, PO Box 8139, Newark, DE 19714-8139.

 

 

The International Reading Association is looking for five new members for the IRA Teacher Advisory Panel, also known as TAP.

TAP members advise the IRA Board of Directors about classroom literacy issues in the field. In the past, TAP members have served on IRA Task Forces, written articles about classroom issues for Reading Today, presented at the annual conference, and provided guidance on a number of items for board discussion. TAP members serve a three year term and perform most of their duties through conference calls and electronic mail.

TAP members receive conference registration, airfare, and hotel accommodations up to US$1000 to attend a half day information/training session at the IRA Annual Convention in San Antonio, Texas. International TAP members may apply for additional travel subsidy. 

For the 2013-2016 term of service, TAP members will be appointed from each of the following regions:

1. Canada
2. East – Connecticut, Delaware, District of Columbia, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, and Vermont
3. Rocky Mountain – Colorado, Idaho, Montana, Utah, and Wyoming
4. Southeast – Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee, Virginia, and West Virginia
5. Southwest – Arizona, Arkansas, New Mexico, Oklahoma, and Texas

In addition to the regions listed above, TAP includes members representing regions outside North America., Great Lakes, West, Plains, as well as a United States at Large member. These members will complete their terms in 2014 (West and International) and 2015 (Great Lakes, Plains, International, U.S. at Large). Potential applicants who reside in one of these regions are encouraged to look for a call for applications for TAP in 2014 or 2015.

For this panel, a “teacher” is defined as a regular classroom teacher who spends 100% of his/her time in Pre-kindergarten -12th grade classrooms or a site-based teacher such as reading specialist, teacher librarian, literacy coach, or reading recovery teacher. TAP members must also: 

• Have been a classroom teacher for a minimum of 3 years.
• Have been an IRA member for a minimum of 3 years.
• Be a member of and be active in a local, state, or provincial council or in an international affiliate and have a recommendation from that council or affiliate.
• Demonstrate a strong commitment to literacy improvement as evidenced by involvement at a school, community, state, national, or international level.
• Be knowledgeable about classroom literacy issues and have shown classroom teacher leadership.

Candidates representing diversity of race, ethnicity, gender, and age, are encouraged to apply.

Interested teachers may apply using the TAP online application form. The deadline is 5:00 p.m. EST on January 9, 2013. More information is available on the TAP webpage.

Teacher Advisory Panel at 2012 IRA Annual Convention