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Literacy Today September/October 2019

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Social-Emotional

Learning

• Examining the intersection

of literacy, SEL, and

culturally responsive

teaching

• Introducing critical

conversations through

young adult literature

• Amplifying the voices of

teachers of color

September/October 2019

Volume 37, Issue 2

LITERACY TODAY

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Contents

LITERACY TODAY

Volume 37, Issue 2

September/October 2019

EDITORIAL STAFF

Managing Editor Colleen Patrice Clark

Editors Christina Lambert & Alina O’Donnell

ILA LEADERSHIP

Executive Director Marcie Craig Post

2019–2020 BOARD MEMBERS

Kathy N. Headley, Clemson University,

President; Stephen Peters, Laurens County

School District 55, Vice President; Bernadette

Dwyer, Dublin City University, Immediate

Past President; Juli-Anne Benjamin, Marion

P. Thomas Charter School; Kia Brown-

Dudley, The Education Partners; Wendy

Carss, University of Waikato; Rachael Gabriel,

University of Connecticut, Storrs; Beverley E.

Harris, Mico University College, University of

the West Indies; Kenneth Kunz, Monmouth

University; Susan Paasch, Sauk Rapids Public

School District; Julia Reynolds, Allendale Public

Schools; Laurie Sharp, Tarleton State University

ADVERTISING

For information, contact Megan Ferguson at

800.336.7323 x 417 or advertising@reading

.org. Acceptance of advertising does not imply

endorsement.

ABOUT US

Literacy Today is the bimonthly membership

magazine of the International Literacy

Association, a nonproﬁ t that strives to

empower educators, inspire students, and

encourage teachers with the resources they

need to make literacy accessible for all.

SUBSCRIPTIONS

Literacy Today (ISSN 2411-7862, Print; 2411-

7900, Online) is included in the cost of ILA

membership. To join, visit literacyworldwide

.org. POSTMASTER: Send address changes

to Literacy Today, PO Box 8139, Newark,

DE 19714-8139, USA. CANADIAN GST:

Registration number R-129785523. Publications

Mail Agreement No. 40033039. Return

undeliverable Canadian addresses to PO Box

503, RPO West Beaver Creek, Richmond Hill,

ON, L4B 4R6.

CUSTOMER SERVICE

800.336.7323

customerservice@reading.org

EDITORIAL

800.336.7323 x 446

literacytoday@reading.org

Write to Literacy Today, PO Box 8139, Newark,

DE 19714-8139, USA.

MAILING LIST RENTALS

ILA rents mailing lists only to groups approved

by the Association. Members can have

their names removed from lists rented by

writing to ILA Customer Service or emailing

customerservice@reading.org.

LIT BITS

ILA UPDATE

LITERACY LEADERSHIP

Nurturing Reading Lives: Improving Literacy

Outcomes for Male Students of Color

More Than Words: Teaching Literacy to

Vulnerable Learners

Online Exclusive: Valuing Online Education: Shift ing Mind-Sets and

Transforming Learning Opportunities, by Aimee Morewood

RESEARCH INTO PRACTICE

Changing the Face of Education: Amplifying the Voices of Teachers of Color

FEATURES

Space for Conversation: Fostering Critical Conversations Through Young

Adult Literature

The Literacy Connection: Examining the Intersection of Literacy, Equity,

and Social-Emotional Learning

ILA 2019

Driving Change Through Literacy, Equity, and Social-Emotional Learning

Kimberly Eckert on What Educators Can Do About a Flawed Education System

Chad Everett Reﬂ ects on the Journey Toward Equitable Schools

In Their Words: Matt Mendez and Linda Sue Park in Conversation

The Magic of Ruta Sepetys

THE ENGAGING CLASSROOM

Start With the Heart: How to Strengthen Key Beliefs That Motivate Readers

Learning Is a Connection Project: How Social-Emotional Learning Drives Literacy

Focusing on Discourse: Fostering an Environment for Safe Conversations and

Conflict Resolution

Online Exclusive: Dear Pen Pal: Building Literacy Through Lett er Writing, by

Rebecca M. Grove and Kristine M. Calo

THE ILA NETWORK

Sending a Powerful Message: How One Middle School Used Literature to

Break Down the Stigma Associated With Mental Illness

A Litt le Healthy Competition: Forty-Five Schools Come Together in Nigeria for

an Educational Competition Honoring Literacy Leaders

EVENTS

MEMBER SPOTLIGHT

literacyworldwide.org | September/October 2019 | LITERACY TODAY

Jull

u y,y,y, ILA

LAA

L thee launched the ILA National Recognition and

ILLILA

A Na

Natititionalallal Recognition With Distinction, an initiative that

reco

coo

cogn

g izzes

e outststts an

a ding licensure, certificate, and endorsement

prog

ogg

ogra

rams

ms that pr

preparre reading/literacy specialists in the United

Statt

a es

ess. To qua

u lify, in

innstitutions must show adherence to ILA’s

S an

ann

anda

dard

rdd

rds fo

foo

for th

the Pr

P eparation of Literacy Professionals 2017. “This

inn

i ititititiaiaiai titiit ve

und

nder

erscc

s orres ILA’s commitment to preparing high-caliber

liteera

racy

cy pro

r fe

fess

ssio

iona

nals,” says ILA Executive Director Marcie Craig

Poostststs . “P

“PPro

roogr

g am

s that have earned National Recognition or

Naa

N titiionn

o alalall Recognition With Distinction are equipping the next

g ne

nee

neera

raa

ratitition

on of literacy professionals with the knowledge,

s ills, annd did spositions they need to meet the

challlelenges of today’s classrooms.” Learn more

at literacyworldwide.org/about-us/

national-recognition.

Announcing ILA’s National

Recognition Program

LIT BITS

Did You Hear?

“We’re talking about an integrated

approach between the teaching of

phonics and literature. There is a need

for explicit instruction, but you can’t

teach children meaning-making on

a phonics curriculum alone.” —ILA

Executive Director Marcie Craig Post

with Education Week, discussing ILA’s

brief, Meeting the Challenges of Early

Literacy Phonics Instruction

Apply Now to be an Editor of

ILA’s Leading Literacy Journals

The search has begun for the next editors of two ILA journals:

The Reading Teacher and the Journal of Adolescent & Adult

Literacy. Applicants must be members of ILA and recognized

experts in the field of literacy education and professional

development, and they

must demonstrate a

commitment to bridging

the research-to-practice

gap. Know someone

who fits the bill?

The application

deadline for both

editorships is Oct.

15. Learn more at

literacyworldwide

.org/journals.

LITERACY TODAY | September/October 2019 | literacyworldwide.org

Our August #ILAchat focused

on “The Dos and Don’ts of

Writing Instruction.” Hosts

Douglas Fisher, Troy Hicks,

David E. Kirkland, Diane Lapp,

and Jennifer Serravallo are

all participating in the #ILA19

Research Address in New

Orleans in October, alongside

keynote speaker Steve Graham,

Mary Emily Warner Professor

of Education at Arizona State

University. Check out the

archived conversation on

Wakelet at bit.ly/ILAchat_

WritingInstruction for a preview

of what’s to come.

On September 9, 2019, in recognition of International Literacy Day, ILA will publish the

Children’s Rights to Excellent Literacy Instruction position statement, the next leg of

ILA’s Children’s Rights to Read campaign. Drafted by the Rights to Excellent Literacy

Instruction Committee members Bernadette Dwyer, Diane Kern, and Jennifer Williams,

the position statement asserts that “literacy—the ability to identify, understand, interpret,

create, compute, and communicate using visual, audible, and digital materials across

disciplines and in any context—and access to excellent and equitable literacy instruction

are basic human rights.” In the coming months, ILA will release four research briefs

that correspond to each of the four tenets outlined in the statement. Download the

statement at literacyworldwide.org.

Unveiling Children’s Rights to Excellent

Literacy Instruction

Still Time to Register for ILA 2019

The International Literacy Association 2019 Conference, taking

place October 10–13, 2019, in New Orleans, LA, is officially less

than two months away. With the theme “Creating a Culture of

Literacy,” you’ll learn how to create and grow a thriving culture of

literacy in your school, district, and community. Core Conference

registration includes access to the ILA General Session (keynoted

by Chelsea Clinton, Pedro A. Noguera, Renée Watson, and

Hamish Brewer), 300+ educational sessions, 100+ exhibitors

in the Exhibit Hall, and countless networking opportunities.

Registrants can also choose to extend their learning with Institute

Day (interactive, full-day courses on specific topics of interest) or

Children’s Literature Day (a full-day event for educators, librarians,

and children’s literature enthusiasts). View the full list of sessions at

ilaconference.org/iplanner.

If You Missed It

ILA has long been committed to providing global

leadership in literacy. To that end, in 2018, a Board-

appointed task force developed Children’s Rights to

Read, a campaign to protect 10 fundamental rights

that ensure every child, everywhere has access to the

education, opportunities, and resources needed to

read. This month, the next phase launches: Children’s

Rights to Excellent Literacy Instruction.

This new position statement—to be released on

Sept. 9 in honor of International Literacy Day—builds

upon the movement that Children’s Rights to Read

has inspired. It asserts that not only literacy but also

access to excellent and equitable literacy instruction

are basic human rights.

The statement outlines the following tenets

that guarantee and protect these rights:

Children have the right to knowledgeable and

qualified literacy educators.

Children have the right to integrated support systems.

Children have the right to supportive learning

environments and high-quality resources.

Children have the right to policies that ensure

equitable literacy instruction.

In the coming months, four new research briefs

will be released that expand upon these tenets to

provide the evidence-based foundations for the rights

and to inspire action to ensure they are protected in

your classroom, district, and community.

Action. That is something the education world

needs desperately.

As a superintendent and also the vice president

of the ILA Board, I find myself digging deeper

to affect change in our world. As we continue

to discover multiple pathways for success, I am

encouraged by this movement and the world we as

an organization are inspiring.

We know that literacy is the umbrella that covers

all learning. All initiatives and daily practices must be

The Rights to Excellent

Literacy Instruction

ILA UPDATE

rooted in literacy. Too many of our children leave our

schools in the afternoon without experiencing what we

all know is possible through transformative, equitable

literacy education, but we are working to change that.

We recognize that nothing matters more to a

student’s academic achievement than the teacher,

but we also recognize that the teacher cannot—and

should not—do it alone. Teachers need the support

of other knowledgeable and highly qualified staff, and

their high-quality literacy instruction requires buy-in

from a multitude of stakeholders such as families and

caregivers, teachers, administrators, and policymakers.

Equality and equity are two different things. We

must be committed to addressing inequities that exist

in our schools. In fact, it is our responsibility to do so.

Children’s Rights to Excellent Literacy Instruction

is representative of ILA’s commitment. As the

principal authors Bernadette Dwyer, Diane Kern, and

Jennifer Williams write: “Excellent literacy instruction

builds a strong foundation for learning and, in turn,

equips children to develop their potential, growing

into adults who participate fully in their communities

and society, enjoying the fullness that continuous

learning brings to their lives.”

Be sure to download Children’s Rights to Excellent

Literacy Instruction and look for the accompanying

briefs in the coming months. We ask that you join

our efforts to protect these rights and ensure children

receive the high-quality, equitable literacy instruction that

they deserve.

Stephen G. Peters

Vice President of the Board

literacyworldwide.org | September/October 2019 | LITERACY TODAY

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Poetic text by Newbery Medalist Katherine Paterson

and striking images by Lisa Aisato reveal the

intimacy of that unforgettable night long

ago, when the mother of Jesus was the

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LITERACY TODAY | September/October 2019 | literacyworldwide.org

do not read books!” Kevin, a 7-year-old boy who is a BIPOC (Black, Indigenous,

Person of Color), proclaimed on the first day of last school year. He was adamant.

Although Aeriale would soon discover that Kevin could read quite well, he had

chosen aliteracy.

Digging into the research about BIPOC males

Current research about Native American, Latinx, and black boys indicates

they continue to lag behind their same-age white peers. Educators need to dig

into the data and ask questions about what it means to the children in front of

them. Aeriale recently had the opportunity to do so alongside her colleagues.

“We are going to focus on Latino males this school year,” Aeriale’s brilliant

administrator announced. Latina herself, she is a visionary leader who serves

her school community with dedication and passion. Her expectations are high,

exceeded only by the level of support she provides her faculty and staff. Aeriale

knows she is in a safe space where she can ask difficult questions and they will be

taken seriously, so she jotted them down to consider:

I am wondering if rather than focusing on Latino males due to their

performance on standardized assessments, we might consider focusing on

the systems we have in place that are failing to impact them the way that we

intend them to.

I wonder whether we have audited our curriculum and libraries, classroom

and school, to ensure that we are providing our students with the mirrors,

windows, and sliding glass doors about which Dr. Rudine Sims Bishop

wrote?

If we are going to focus on a particular demographic, should we talk

specifically about race and gender? What about intersectionality?

I guess what I’m really asking is, what about us, the faculty and staff? In

what ways can we sit in front of our own mirrors and analyze our reflections

as we make less biased, more informed instructional decisions regarding

this demographic? What systemic roadblocks do we have in place? How can

we dismantle these barriers and consider alternative perspectives of our

students, using lenses that focus on their assets?

These types of questions can lead to a better understanding of how particular

racial and ethnic groups are performing and what their assets are. In fact, starting

from a strengths-based perspective and valuing BIPOC males’ funds of knowledge

is the foundational step for us to begin the work that can positively impact their

literacy lives.

Improving literacy outcomes for male students of color

NURTURING

READING LIVES

By Aeriale N. Johnson & Kimberly N. Parker

Aeriale N. Johnson

(aerialenike@gmail.com)

teaches second graders

literacy for liberation at

Washington Elementary

School in San Jose, CA. She

tweets as @arcticisleteach.

Kimberly N. Parker

(kimpossible97@gmail

.com), an ILA member since

2019, prepares preservice

educators to teach for

liberation at the Shady Hill

School in Cambridge, MA. She

tweets as @TchKimPossible.

LITERACY

LEADERSHIP

”

literacyworldwide.org | September/October 2019 | LITERACY TODAY

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