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Every day presents a new opportunity to explore literacy research at the IRA Annual Conference, with an address from Timothy Shanahan, Literacy Research Panel sessions, poster sessions, and more.

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Research Sessions in New Orleans

by Chelsea Simens

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| Apr 21, 2014
Timothy Shanahan gives the
Research Address

Every day presents a new opportunity to explore literacy research at the International Reading Association (IRA) 59th Annual Conference in New Orleans. Enjoy Featured Research sessions, Research Into Practice sessions, poster sessions, and our annual Research Awards with an address by Timothy Shanahan.

Friday, May 9

9:00 a.m.–5:00 p.m.
IRA Research Institute
The IRA Research Institute is already sold out! The day-long program co-chaired by Maureen McLaughlin and Kathy Headley features keynotes by Richard Allington (struggling readers), Claude Goldenberg (English learners), James Bauman (vocabulary), Linda Gambrell (motivation), Nell Duke (reading comprehension), Timothy Rasinski (fluency), Linnea Ehri (phonemic awareness and letter knowledge), and Katherine Dougherty Stahl (phonics).

Saturday, May 10

11:00 a.m.–12:00 p.m.
The IRA Literacy Research Panel: Evidence-Based Practices for Literacy Education(Poster Session)
This poster session features updates from the CCSS-aligned LRP interdisciplinary units (IRA Bridges) that have been implemented in classrooms during this school year, newly approved interdisciplinary units, research presentations by LRP members, and articles from the LRP on Reading Today Online. Virginia Goatley and John Guthrie chair the session.

Elizabeth Ann Flens Avila, Kathleen C. Perencevich, Sean Hennigan, and Ellen Kaplan share an overview of a fourth grade unit integrating literacy and life science through the Concept-Oriented Reading Instruction (CORI) program.

Debbie Linville, Leni Fragakis, and Liz Green share details about the Exploring our Natural Resources Interdisciplinary Unit for Grades 1–2.

Ana Taboada Barber, Leila Nuland Richey, and Melissa Gallagher present on Integrating American History with Literacy Practices for English Learners in Inclusive Settings.

Elizabeth Birr Moje provides information about Teaching Students and Teachers Disciplinary Literacy: Studying a Novel Teacher Education Program.

Diane Bottomley, Kimberly Beal, and Peggy Sue Rice present The Capital Gains of Student Learning: The Impact of a Third Grade Economics Interdisciplinary Unit.

Peter Johnston and Gay Ivey share insights on The Consequences of an Engagement Focus in Reading based on two studies.

Nell Duke shows LRP articles published on Reading Today Onlinein the series Ask a Researcher, Policy Monitor, Research and Practice: Our Take, Research Roundup, and Scintillating Studies.

1:00 p.m.–2:00 p.m.
The IRA Literacy Research Panel: Policy Issues and Research
In this session, panelists Bill Teale, Virginia Goatley, Peter Freebody, and Patricia Anders will join moderator Peter Afflerbach in a discussion of teacher education, credentialing, and teacher assessment.

1:00 p.m.–2:00 p.m.
Summer as a Teachable Moment: Addressing the Primary Source of the Rich/Poor Reading Achievement Gap (Featured Research Program)
Presented by Richard L. Allington and Anne McGill-Franzen, this session focuses on the primary source of the rich/poor reading gap, namely educators’ general failure to see summer vacation as a teachable moment. Research shows that summer reading and ease of book access are central to closing the achievement gap and that summer reading loss accounts for about 80% of the gap. Moreover, access to books during the summer varies significantly between low and middle income children. Guidance will be offered to attendees on what needs to be done to address the access problem and counter summer reading loss.

1:00 p.m.–2:00 p.m.
Leveraging Technologies for Learning (Poster Session)

2:30 p.m.–3:30 p.m.
IRA Outstanding Dissertations (Poster Session)

3:30 p.m.–5:30 p.m.
Research Address and Awards
The 2014 IRA research awards ceremony will take place on Saturday, May 10. Co-Chair and IRA President Maureen McLaughlin introduces Timothy Shanahan, the research keynote speaker, who will present, “Instructional Level Texts or Challenging Texts.” Co-Chair Diane Barone, former IRA Board Member and current co-editor of The Reading Teacher, introduces the award recipients. This year’s awards include IRA Albert J. Harris Award, IRA Dina Feitelson Research Award, IRA Jeanne S. Chall Research Fellowship Award, IRA Steven A. Stahl Research Grant, IRA Helen M. Robinson Research Grant, IRA Teacher as Researcher Grant, IRA Outstanding Dissertation Award, IRA Elva Knight Research Grant, IRA Esther Zolt Academic Research Grant, and IRA Esther Zolt Teacher Research Grant. Information on the criteria for nominee qualification and the vetting process used to determine recipients of these awards can be found at /grants.

Sunday, May 11

11:00 a.m.–1:00 p.m.
The IRA Literacy Research Panel: Priorities for Literacy Policy and Practice
In this session, members of the LRP address national and international priorities for literacy policy and practice. Peter Johnston and P. David Pearson chair the session.

11:00 a.m.–1:00 p.m.
Becoming a Teacher Researcher: Exploring IRA’s Teacher as Researcher Grant (Research Workshop)
Chaired by Laura Pardo, this session, which includes Paula Saine as a speaker, provides information on IRA’s Teacher as Researcher (TAR) Grant, including how to navigate IRA’s TAR website and complete the application process. Attendees learn what it means to be a teacher researcher and how to conduct action research. Committee members are available to answer questions about the research process and the grant application. The following award winners from previous years will present findings from their projects, Nakeiha Primus, Claudia Fimpel, Shaun Eyre, and Elizabeth Edmondson.

11:00 a.m.–12:00 p.m.
Thinking Differently About Differences in Learning (Poster Session)

1:00 p.m.–2:00 p.m.
Meet the Researchers(Poster Session)

3:00 p.m.–4:00 p.m.
Aiming High: From Secondary to Career (Poster Session)

3:00 p.m.–5:00 p.m.
Choosing the Right Drivers for Whole School Changes in Reading Pedagogy (Featured Research Program)
Three Australian educators, Gary Kilarr, Brian Cambourne, and Christine, describe how they implemented changes to the professional learning and literacy teaching culture in an isolated K–10 rural school in Tasmania. They consider the potential of collaborative teacher inquiry for creating a culture which enables teachers to identify “the teachable moment” in ways that enable all students to learn.

3:00 p.m.–5:00 p.m.
What’s New in Language Arts Research? (Research Into Practice Session)
This session begins with a brief overview of the third volume of The Handbook of Research on Teaching the English Language Arts. Authors seated at round tables will share chapter contents interactively with participants. Rotations occur every 20 minutes in order for participants to hear multiple papers. The session ends with a whole group discussion highlighting the round table exchanges and identifying suggestions for the next volume of the Handbook. Speakers include, Diane Lapp, Douglas Fisher, Nancy Frey, Nancy Roser, and Karen Wood.

Monday, May 12

11:00 a.m.–12:00 p.m.
Getting It Right From the Start With Young Learners (Poster Session)

11:00 a.m.–12:00 p.m.
Research in the Making: From Literacy Framework to Literacy Practice (Research into Practice session)
In an era characterized by increased accountability, federal legislation and resultant mandates have accentuated instructional leadership roles for school principals while focusing increased scrutiny on literacy. But the teachable moment of reading just doesn’t happen, it is created. Despite intense inquiry into literacy practices, scant research has been conducted identifying literacy leadership knowledge. Attendees of this session are part of research-in-the-making by completing a survey on literacy leadership. The speakers include Margaret-Mary Sulentic Dowell, Bonnie L. Hoewing, and Tynisha Willingham-Meidi.

11:00 a.m.–1:00 p.m.
What’s New in Literacy Teaching? (Research into Practice session)
This session presents current research on critical topics such as vocabulary, comprehension, text complexity, digital learning, and children’s literature. The focus is on teaching, on how to translate research findings into practical classroom strategies that work for today’s students. References are made to the IRA E-ssentials as topical resources. Speakers include Karen Wood, Brian Kissel, Jeanne Paratore, and Rachel McCormack.

Don’t miss out on these opportunities to learn from influential and inspiring literacy research leaders! The International Reading Association 59th Annual Conference will be held Friday, May 9 through Monday, May 12, 2014 at the Ernest N. Morial Convention Center in New Orleans, Louisiana. Visit www.iraconference.org for conference details or to register.

Chelsea Simens is the strategic communications intern at the International Reading Association.
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Our new IRA 2014 conference app allows you to plan your schedule, find your way through the Exhibit Hall, search for sessions and speakers, and more!

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IRA 2014: There’s an App for That!

by Sara Long

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| Apr 16, 2014

It’s out! You’ve heard the buzz about the new International Reading Association (IRA) conference app, and now it’s available for download for free for iPhone, Android, and tablets at www.iraconference.org/app.

We listened to your requests and worked diligently to create a one-of-a-kind, easy-to-use app that will become an indispensable part of your conference experience.

Join us as we walk you through the features of the new IRA 2014 app.

My Schedule

View your conference itinerary by tapping the “My Schedule” icon. If you haven’t added any events yet, use the “Sessions” or “Speakers” icons to find events you’d like to attend.

Tapping the session or speaker name and then tapping the “Bookmark” button adds that event to your schedule.

It’ll warn you if you try to add two sessions for the same time, but don’t worry, it’ll let you add them! It may be a good idea to do this in case your first choice is full.

iPlanner Sync

Did you already create a 2014 itinerary using our online iPlanner? Well, the app will sync with it!

In the app, tap the circular “gear” icon at the top left of the screen. Then tap “Online Profile Login.” Enter the e-mail address you used to create your iPlanner itinerary and then enter your last name as the password (not your iPlanner password!). Tap “Done.” Tap the circular arrows at the top of the app screen to refresh the app, and then tap the “My Schedule” icon again. Your iPlanner schedule will appear there!

If you set up your iPlanner login prior to December 1, 2013, the importing feature is not available, and we recommend that you set up your itinerary directly in the app. Simply bookmark the sessions you want to attend and view your itinerary in "My Schedule."

(Please note: Adding sessions to your schedule in the app or to your iPlanner itinerary does not reserve a space or guarantee you a seat. Also, there is a separate fee for Institutes and Author Luncheons.)

Exhibitors

Looking for a certain exhibitor? Is someone offering a must-have give-away or hosting an author signing? Tap the “Exhibitors” icon to view a list of all exhibitors or to views lists of exhibitors by category. Tap an exhibitor name to select them as a “Favorite” with the favorite button.

Maps

If you’ve ever gotten turned around in a convention center, you’re going to love this! The “Maps” icon gives you access to facility maps and a map of the Exhibit Hall. Schedule a time to visit a certain booth, mark a booth as visited, or add a booth as a “Favorite” by tapping booths on the Exhibit Hall map. Navigating the Exhibit Hall has never been easier!

Sessions

Tap the “Sessions” icon to view more information about conference offerings, including ones that you didn’t add to your schedule. You can browse by day, by track (Common Core, Research, etc.), or by type (Teaching Edge, Author Panel, etc.).

Speakers

The full list of conference speakers is also in the app. Speakers are listed alphabetically, but you can also search for names at the top left of the screen.

IRA 2014 Info

Tapping the “IRA 2014 Info” icon will give you useful documents like the shuttle schedule, Schedule-at-a-Glance, and more.

Photos

The “Photos” icon links to our IRAToday Instagram account. Check out the fun conference photos, and add your own with the #IRA14 hashtag!

Twitter

Read tweets about the conference by tapping the “Twitter” bird icon. It leads to our @IRAToday feed. Feel free to tweet something, too, and remember to use the #IRA14 hashtag! Tweets also appear on our Twitter Wall near the Exhibit Hall.

Program Updates

Once the conference starts, tap this icon to read our daily program addendum, a list of the room changes and session cancellations that were announced after the conference program was published.

Local Places

The New Orleans Convention and Visitors Bureau shared a fantastic list of restaurants, tourist sites, shopping, and more for the IRA 2014 app. Tap the “Local Places” icon to browse attractions by type, or use the search feature to find something specific. Tapping the attraction’s name opens a map that pinpoints its location!

Downloads

Does your session have downloadable hand-outs? Download them into the app and find them here.

Locate Me

Are you lost? Click on the “Locate Me” icon and enter an Exhibit Hall booth number you are near. The app will show you where you are on the map!

Website

If you need to check the IRA 2014 website at www.iraconference.org, this icon will take you right there.

Quick List

Now that you’ve explored the app, this list shows all of the booths you’ve marked as “Favorites.”

We hope you enjoy using this app and that it helps make this year’s conference one of the best ever!

The International Reading Association 59th Annual Conference will be held Friday, May 9 through Monday, May 12, 2014 at the Ernest N. Morial Convention Center in New Orleans, Louisiana. Visit www.iraconference.org for conference details or to register. Find details on how to download the app at www.iraconference.org/app.

Sara Long is an editor/content manager at the International Reading Association.

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Debbie Rickards, Louisiana teacher and Conference Local Arrangements Committee Chair, shares sessions to help you implement the Common Core.

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Meeting the CCSS Challenge: IRA 2014 Session Picks

by Debbie Rickards

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| Apr 08, 2014

As chair of the 2014 Conference Local Arrangements Committee (LAC) and Past President of the Louisiana Reading Association, I can attest that Louisiana teachers are thrilled to welcome thousands of fellow literacy educators to New Orleans in May. While networking with colleagues is one of the top benefits of conference attendance, we also look forward to the high quality sessions that help us transfer the latest research to teaching methods in our classrooms.

Louisiana is in its first year of full implementation of both the Common Core State Standards and a new and more rigorous teacher evaluation plan. While teachers and administrators have embraced the challenges, they are appreciative of information about effective instructional practices in the age of the Common Core. Many IRA conference sessions profess to assist in implementation, but how do you choose from among the hundreds of scheduled sessions?

Here are a few sessions (in random order) that stood out to me, ones that will be especially helpful to teachers from Louisiana and other states in the midst of CCSS implementation. They seem to give explicit instruction on explicit instruction, which is what Louisiana teachers are looking for: how to make clear, how to scaffold, and the kind of reading and writing tasks called for in the CCSS.

While these offerings are only a few of the many sessions with practical, research-based takeaways for teachers, we hope that the list helps you build your itinerary for the conference. For more assistance, visit the conference website at www.iraconference.org or search for keywords on the online iPlanner at www.iraconference.org/iplanner.

Digging Deep: Using Close Reading and Book Discussion to Teach Struggling Readers How to Think in Complex Ways about Texts
With Irene Fountas from Lesley University and Gay Su Pinnell from Ohio State University

When the Text is Tough: How to Help Struggling Readers Struggle Successfully
With Kylene Beers from Teachers College and Robert Probst, Jr., from Georgia State University

Scaffolding Complex Text: Supporting Struggling Readers
With Anne Juola from the University of South Florida and Dorlinda Carlson from Manatee School District

Using Evidence-Based Reading Activities to Motivate Students within the Framework of Response-to-Intervention
With Mei Shen from Michigan State University and Nai-Cheng Kuo from Georgia Regents University

Empowering Struggling Readers with the Power of Independent Word-Solving
With Peggy Schwartz and Janet Wiedman from Orange County Public Schools

Techniques for Reading and Responding to Complex Informational Text
With Thomas Gunning from Central Connecticut State University

Intervention Meets the Common Core: Harnessing the Common Features of Close and Shared Reading to Address the Needs of Learners in All Tiers
With Karen Waters and Eleanor Osborne from Sacred Heart University and Michael Bennett from Naugatuck Public Schools

Popcorn Reading, Spelling Lists, Word Walls and More: What Research Says about Common Instructional Routines
With Katherine Hilden and Jennifer Jones from Radford University

Growing Literacy Work Stations: From State Standards to Partner Practice Teaching Edge Session
With Debbie Diller

The IRA 59th Annual Conference in New Orleans runs from May 10-12, 2014 with an Institute Day on May 9. Click here to register.

Debbie Rickards is chair of the 2014 Annual Conference Local Arrangements Committee (LAC), a Past President of the Louisiana Reading Association, and an instructional coordinator at Shreve Island Elementary in Shreveport, debrickards@suddenlink.net.

This article was originally published in the February/March 2014 Annual Conference Issue of Reading Today, IRA's bimonthly member magazine. Click here to read that issue, and click here to learn about joining IRA.

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Join us on Thursday, April 10 at 8pm EST to #IRAchat about Stopping the Summer Slide. We’ll discuss tips for summer preparation, motivation methods, and other practical ways to keep kids reading until next school year.

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#IRAchat: Stopping the Summer Slide

by Chelsea Simens

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| Apr 03, 2014

While in many parts of North America the mercury may not seem to agree, summer is just around the corner. For teachers, that means it's time to start thinking about the challenge of the summer slide.

To get started, join us on Thursday, April 10 at 8pm EST to #IRAchat about Stopping the Summer Slide. We’ll discuss tips for summer preparation, motivation methods, and other practical ways to keep kids reading until next school year.

Our guest expert for the evening will be Dr. Kimberly Tyson. She’ll be on hand to answer questions and provide insights throughout the chat. She brings over 25 years of teaching experience and currently works as an educational consultant and content specialist to improve instructional effectiveness and student learning.

To learn more about Dr. Kimberly and her literacy work, check out her blog here. You can also get a look at some of her suggestions for stemming the summer slide in this blog post. If summer reading slide is on your mind, then you won’t want to miss this #IRAchat.

For a look at how this all works, check out the Storify recap of our last chat on Motivation and Engagement with Book Clubs.

How to chat

To join the conversation, you can simply search for the #IRAchat hashtag in Twitter. If you’re unfamiliar with Twitter, you can learn how to get started and make the most of your experience by reading “Harnessing the Educational Power of Twitter.”

We look forward to chatting with you on Thursday and please feel free to tweet us with any questions you may have. Just use the #IRAchat hashtag in your tweet and we will do our best to help you with any advice or Twitter troubleshooting.
Chelsea Simens is the strategic communications intern at the International Reading Association.

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The IRA and Rotary International SIG hosts a conference symposium and invite applications for the IRA-RI-Pearson Foundation Literacy Awards.

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Expanding Your Literacy Opportunities through Collaboration

by Judy Backlund

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| Mar 27, 2014
Books Freeing Minds IRARI Project: IRA Council
members and Rotarians collect, sort, and fill
shelves at the local jail.

Book Mobile IRARI Project: IRA Council members,
Rotarians, and school district members worked
together to put this Book Mobile on the road
last summer. Year 2 coming up!

If your IRA Council/Affiliate is looking for a group to collaborate on educational projects in your school, community, or internationally, then look no further than joining together with a Rotary Club in your area.
Working with Rotary

Rotary International works to provide education, in addition to their other local and international efforts to improve the lives of people around the world. I have been a teacher for 30+ years, an IRA member for about 20 years, and a Rotarian for 8 years. Since connecting these life components together, I feel that I have made a more positive contribution towards “teaching the world to read.”

One of IRA’s Special Interest Groups is International Reading Association and Rotary International (IRARI). IRARI provides opportunities for IRA Councils and affiliates and Rotary Clubs to share resources, expertise, and a passion for literacy by collaborating on sustainable literacy projects locally and around the world.

IRARI Symposium in New Orleans

We encourage you to attend the IRARI Symposium on May 11 at the IRA 59th Annual Conference in New Orleans to discover some ways your school or group can work with Rotary and how it can benefit your students or individuals locally or around the world. The symposium title is Expand Your Teachable Moments and Increase Your Volunteer and Financial Support: Consider an IRA/Rotary (IRARI) Literacy Based Partnership Focused on Changing Lives.

Highlights for this years’ symposium include:
- Featured Speaker Pam Allyn, Executive Director of LitWorld
  LitWorld is a nonprofit organization fostering resilience, hope, and joy through the power of story. Their programs build self-confidence, promote leadership, and strengthen children and their communities. Pam will be inspiring us to work together in order to bring literacy to every child by empowering them to read and write, thus changing their world and the worlds of others.
- IRARI Project Presentations
  We will also hear briefly from some of the amazing IRARI projects occurring locally and around the world that will hopefully encourage all of us to seek opportunities to work with our local Rotary clubs to further promote literacy.
- IRA-RI-Pearson Foundation Literacy Awards Discussion
  Lastly, we will be hearing about the IRA-RI-Pearson Foundation Literacy Awards. These three organizations work together to strengthen literacy in local and international communities. The Pearson Foundation will share about two $2,500 Literacy Awards for literacy service projects jointly undertaken by Rotary Clubs and IRA Councils and affiliates. The awards will be presented at IRA’s International Literacy Day celebration in Washington, D.C. on September 8, 2014.
Stop by the IRARI Symposium for fellowship, information, prizes, and snacks!

Apply for the $2,500 Award

The application deadline for the IRA-RI-Pearson Foundation Literacy Awards is June 15, 2014. For information, IRA members can contact irawash@/, and Rotarians can contact rotary.service@rotary.org. The IRARI webpage on the IRA website contains a short PowerPoint which shares more about the award, and information about the 2012 Literacy Award winners. It also provides more information about IRARI and how you can join.

Judy Backlund is the Past President of Ellensburg Morning Rotary and the Chair of IRARI, an International Reading Association Special Interest Group, focusing on promoting joint literacy efforts between Rotary Clubs and IRA Councils, backlundju@cwu.edu.
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