Literacy Now

Calling all artsy educators and researchers—the International Literacy Association (ILA) is looking for a poster design to be featured at ILA 2020 in Columbus, OH. Whether visualized as a meme, word cloud, or a hand-sketched work of art, ILA wants to know: What does literacy mean to you?

Until February 24, submissions will be accepted on a rolling basis. Not only will the winner’s art be featured at ILA 2020, but the winner will also receive free Core
Conference registration. 

“Columbus has a vibrant art scene and we thought, ‘What better way to get attendees excited about such a visually inspiring conference destination than to invite them to join in on the creativity and fun?’” Jean Wright, marketing associate at ILA, says. “Our goal with this contest is to get [attendees] to share ways in which they interpret and engage with literacy which, in turn, may spark new inspiration for others.”

Designers are welcome to submit as many designs as they would like, Wright added. However, posters must be original work, with each submission separately uploaded to the contest form. Poster designs must be 11″ × 17″, submitted in .jpg, .png, .pdf, .ai, or .eps format, and be no larger than 10 MB.

To view official rules and to enter, visit literacyworldwide.org/design. 

Interested in becoming an editor? ILA seeks editor teams for two of our leading, peer-reviewed journals: The Reading Teacher (RT), for teachers of students up to age 12, and the Journal of Adolescent & Adult Literacy (JAAL), for teachers of learners 12 and up.

Plus, the incoming editors for both journals will be the first to serve under a new model that includes shorter terms, larger teams (up five people), and an expense budget of US$25,000 per annum.

We’re looking for visionary editors eager to explore how new media can deepen scholarly discourse, leverage social platforms to spark conversation, and expand the journals’ reach.

More about JAAL and RT

Founded in 1957 as the Journal of Developmental Reading, JAAL has evolved with the field to meet the needs of not only middle, secondary, and postsecondary teachers and higher education professionals but also researchers, administrators, and policymakers.

RT has been a valued source of professional learning, offering educators practical applications of what current research tells us about effective, high-quality instruction for more than 70 years. Editorship of this journal offers the opportunity to impact literacy teachers and support them in strengthening their instructional practice.

For both journals, the editor(s) will serve for a term of four years (previously six years), the first of which overlaps with the current editors’ term

“Researchers no longer have to wait for print to disseminate their work,” said ILA Executive Director Marcie Craig Post. “Articles are available digitally months before they’re slated to officially publish. Today’s authors are not only sharing the early-view content but also generating substantial professional discourse on platforms such as Twitter.”

By removing potential barriers, Post hopes to increase the candidate pool and make the commitment more tenable to researchers earlier in their careers.

Interested in applying? Applications for JAAL and RT are due March 1, 2020, with terms beginning June 1, 2020, and concluding May 31, 2024!

Qualified applicants must be recognized experts and leading researchers in the field of literacy education for learners in this age group of the journal, as well as passionate about elevating the work of both established and up-and-coming scholars of the literacy field.

To learn more about RT, visit literacyworldwide.org/get-resources/journals/the-reading-teacher-editorship.

To learn more about JAAL, visit literacyworldwide.org/get-resources/journals/journal-of-adolescent-adult-literacy-editorship.

A new report released today by the International Literacy Association (ILA) reveals that only 34% of teachers surveyed felt equipped by their teacher preparation programs with the skills needed for effective early reading instruction. The differences in how teachers are prepared carries a price tag, according to respondents; the majority point to the variability of teacher knowledge and effectiveness as being among the greatest barriers to equity in literacy education.

The ILA 2020 What’s Hot in Literacy Report provides a snapshot of what 1,443 literacy professionals from 65 countries and territories deem the most critical topics to advancing literacy worldwide over the next decade. In addition, it identifies top challenges and supports needed by those in the field.

Early literacy skills and equity emerged as top critical topics from those surveyed; access to high-quality books and content, professional learning opportunities and effective instructional strategies for struggling readers rounded out the top five.

The findings regarding teacher preparation and the variability of teacher knowledge and effectiveness relate directly to current conversations in the field regarding which instructional methods are included in preservice programs—and how much emphasis they are given. This lack of effectiveness also points to the need for more ongoing professional learning opportunities, a critical topic cited by respondents throughout the survey.

For example, though the majority of teachers reported that both phonics and phonemic awareness were covered in their preservice programs, the percentage who said their program did an “excellent” or “very good” job of preparing them to use these methods was low—27% for phonics and 26% for phonemic awareness. In addition, 30% of those surveyed indicated a desire for more professional development and/or a greater understanding of explicit and systematic phonics instruction.

More than a quarter of teachers said they need support in both creating a professional learning network and pursuing professional learning opportunities. In addition, 50% of respondents believe the topic of ongoing professional learning needs more focus and attention from education policymakers.

“Overwhelmingly, we learned that educators in the literacy field are in need of support,” said ILA Executive Director Marcie Craig Post. “This survey helps us to identify where that support is needed so, as a professional organization, we can provide solutions.”

Another area in which the majority of respondents expressed the need for support is research. A whopping 93% cite research as the backbone of effective literacy instruction, and staying current on research was cited as a top three responsibility of literacy educators by 50% or more of teachers, literacy consultants and higher education professionals. In addition, 44% said this is an area in which they needed more support. And most—85%—agreed that academic experts and professional associations should provide that support.

The full survey findings are available in the ILA 2020 What’s Hot in Literacy Report, available at literacyworldwide.org/whatshot. Join the conversation on Twitter by using the hashtag #ILAWhatsHot.

As we leave 2019 behind and enter the new decade, we look back on the top read content on Literacy Daily that had our readers engaged, informed, and entertained. Out of hundreds of posts, the top read covered a wide range of hard-hitting topics—from the celebration of literacy events to exploring research-based literacy instruction. Enjoy the top 10 most visited blog posts below—just in case you missed them!

10. Affirming Individuality and Identity Through Picture Books and Storytelling

9. #ILAchat: The Power and the Promise of Independent Reading

8. A Marie Kondo Approach to Literacy Instruction

7. Rethinking Assessment in Word Study: Five Ready-to-Go Ideas

6. How and Why to Include Word Solving in Intermediate Grades

5. Student Choice Is the Key to Turning Students Into Readers

4. Ten Resources for Celebrating the 10th Anniversary of World Read Aloud Day

3. Creative Assessments for Independent Reading

2. Research-Based Literacy Instruction Strategies

1. What Research Really Says About Teaching Reading (Even Beyond ILA 2019

In addition to the top blogs, we’ve also compiled the top keyword searches from 2019:

• Making sense of what research says
• Vocabulary
• Phonics
• Diversity
• Fluency
• Sight words
• Personalized professional development
• Writing
• Assessment
• Comprehension

We look forward to bringing our readers more content and resources on Literacy Daily in 2020!

For more than 20 years, ILA has published the What’s Hot in Literacy report. With the 2020 What’s Hot results launching January 22, Literacy Daily takes a look back at what survey respondents prioritized as the top issues in education just two years ago.

• Early Literacy was both hot and important. It took the No. 1 spot as the most important topic for the second year in a row.

• Equity in Literacy Education was a critical global issue. It was the No. 2 most important topic in developing countries and the U.S. and No. 1 in other developed countries. The survey defined equity as “ensuring all children get what they need not only in situations of poverty and limited resources but also regardless of academic proficiency, geographic remoteness, and any other barrier to school success.”
  
  Survey comments suggested that these factors unlevel the playing field, and that governments do not provide supports necessary to overcome the disparities.

• Family Engagement and Community Partnerships were more important than they were hot. Both topics should be getting more attention.

• More focus was needed on Teacher Preparation. It was the topic with the highest gap between attention it currently receives and how important it is to advancing literacy. According to 85% of respondents, Teacher Preparation is extremely or very important. Survey comments revealed that respondents felt that new teachers often enter the classroom without the skills needed to foster literacy success.

• Digital Literacy was the No. 1 hot topic but was not nearly as important to our respondents as other topics (including Disciplinary Literacy). “Fake news” was an increasingly popular topic in the wake of the 2016 U.S. presidential election, which could explain why people are paying more attention to digital literacy.

• Formative Assessments was valued much more than Summative Assessments—which falls last at No. 17 in importance.

Keep a look out for the 2020 What’s Hot in Literacy Report coming January 22. In the meantime, share with us on Twitter how you think education has changed over the past two years by tweeting us at @ILAToday.