What’s Hot in
Literacy 2017
• See what 1,600 respondents
from 89 countries had to say
• Assessment tops the charts,
but should it?
• The five most critical issues for
advancing literacy, revealed!
January/February 2017
Volume 34, Issue 4
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Contents
LITERACY TODAY
Volume 34, Issue 4
January/February 2017
EDITORIAL STAFF
Managing Editor Colleen Patrice Clark
Editors April Hall & Christina Lambert
ILA LEADERSHIP
Executive Director Marcie Craig Post
Associate Executive Director Stephen Sye
2016–2017 BOARD MEMBERS
William Teale, University of Illinois at Chicago,
President; Douglas Fisher, San Diego State
University, Vice President; Diane Barone,
University of Nevada, Reno, Immediate Past
President; Gwynne Ash, Texas State University;
Donald Bear, Iowa State University; Julie
Coiro, University of Rhode Island; Catherine
Collier, Chesapeake Public Schools, Virginia;
Lori DiGisi, Framingham Public Schools,
Massachusetts; Rachel Karchmer-Klein,
University of Delaware; Stephanie Laird,
Southeast Polk Community School District,
Iowa; Stephen Peters, Laurens County School
District 55, South Carolina; Jennifer Williams,
Calliope Global Education Initiatives, Florida
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.
CONTACT US
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 e-mailing
customerservice@reading.org.
© International Literacy Association
18
3
EDITOR’S NOTE
4
LIT BITS
6
ILA UPDATE
LITERACY LEADERSHIP
8
The Diff erence a Caring Teacher Can Make
10
Tracking the Elementary School Journeys of
EL Students
12
The Reading Specialist: A School’s Very Own Jack-of-All-Trades
14
How a STEAM Culture Promotes a Foundation of Literacy
16
OUR VIEW
THE ENGAGING CLASSROOM
26
Close Reading as a Tool to Intertwine Literacy and Numeracy
28
Incorporating Digital Tools to Foster Global Connections
30
Rigor vs. Ease: What’s Most Important?
32
Revamping Traditional Reading Lists With the Diversity Our
Students Need
THE ILA NETWORK
34
The Path to Being Named an Exemplary Reading Program
GLOBAL IMPACT
36
How the Massachusett s Reading Association Is Helping to Improve
Literacy in South Africa
40
EVENTS
42
MEMBER SPOTLIGHT
What’s Hot in
Literacy
EDITOR’S
NOTE
Colleen Patrice Clark
Managing Editor
cclark@reading.org
s we welcome 2017, we also usher in a new
What’s Hot in Literacy survey, which we have
published for 20 years to gauge the topics in
literacy that are trending as well as the topics
that should be and shouldn’t be trending.
The results have traditionally been used to
foster relevant professional development,
timely research, and conversations in teacher
education programs.
While preparing for this relaunch—
which expanded the survey from 20–25
respondents to more than 1,500—I went
hunting through the archives to find past
editions of What’s Hot to see how the topics
have changed. They have—from balanced
reading and phonemic awareness topping
the charts in the ’90s to new literacies and
literacy coaching in the last decade—but
there were other archive highlights that
stood out as I flipped through what was our
member newspaper at the time. There were
pieces on the value of encyclopedias, changing
standards and regulations, and a gem from
1997 announcing our plans to launch a
website. “The possibilities are endless,” it
proudly proclaimed.
I got a side-by-side look—my fingers
becoming more ink stained with each page—at
how trending topics in literacy and the ways
we communicate and view our world have
evolved simultaneously. This evolution won’t
be slowing down, which makes it important for
us to continue the What’s Hot survey.
It’s why, although the methodology has
changed, the purpose remains the same: Take
the temperature of the literacy dialogue, note
the trends, and help drive conversations in the
directions they are most needed.
As you’ll see in this year’s results, there
are quite a few gaps between what’s trending
and what’s truly important, which leads us to
a series of issues that need to be elevated in
the current literacy landscape.
Dive into those issues with us on page 18,
and be sure to download the full What’s Hot in
Literacy Report—also a new component this
year—at literacyworldwide.org/whatshot.
Warmly,
WHAT’S HOT 2017
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Starting Strong | Evidence-Based Early Literacy Practices
Katrin Blamey and Katherine Beauchat
Starting Strong shows teachers how to use four proven instructional approaches—standards based, evidence
based, assessment based, and student based—to improve their teaching practice in all areas of early literacy.
Authors Katrin Blamey and Katherine Beauchat draw on their years of experience and early literacy expertise to
guide you in figuring out what to teach and how to find the most instructionally sound method to teach it.
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Becoming a Literacy Leader (Second Edition) | Supporting Learning and Change
Jennifer Allen
The new edition of Becoming a Literacy Leader is a thoughtful, reflective evolution of Jennifer’s work as she
rethinks how her identity and role as a literacy leader have evolved in the ten years since she wrote the first
edition. She focuses on three ideas to describe her work: the concept of layered leadership, shared experiences
in making meaning together, and the importance of rowing in the same direction as a school community.
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LITERACY TODAY | January/February 2017 | literacyworldwide.org
4
literacyworldwide.org | January/February 2017 | LITERACY TODAY
The Literacy Scene
LIT BITS
Marybeth Haas, Crystal Lee, Hyun McGee,
Maria Gonzalez, and Jody Turner dressed as the
pumpkins from Five Little Pumpkins for Halloween.
All five are ESOL teachers at Charles Brant Chesney
Elementary School in Georgia.
E-mail photos to literacytoday@reading.org or post
them on social media with #Steps4Literacy and they
could appear in the next issue.
As a researcher and former high school EL teacher, I’ve been able to introduce culturally relevant reading to many EL
classes. Here are some ways to teach ELA standards for beginner through advanced ELs:
Culturally Relevant Readings for English Learners
My Five…
1. Picture books. ELs can teach the class about their
country while using their emerging oral and written
English. For rich illustrations with limited text, try
the I See the Sun series from Satya House Publications,
bilingual books about countries from ThingsAsian Press,
and the Country ABCs series from Capstone.
2. Poetry. Using fewer words to say more is excellent
for students acquiring vocabulary. Try Red Hot Salsa:
Bilingual Poems on Being Young and Latino in the United
States or 19 Varieties of Gazelle: Poems of the Middle East.
3. Short stories. Papers: Stories by Undocumented Youth
and First Crossing: Stories About Teen Immigrants are
collections containing short narratives of rich stories
about youth from various countries.
4. L1 or bilingual books. Don’t put nurturing a love of
reading on hold until students can read an entire novel in
English. Many ELs read well in their L1. Popular books-
turned-movies are a good choice and are often available
in various languages.
5. High-interest novels. When students are ready, authors
such as Julia Alvarez, An Na, René Saldaña, Beverley
Naidoo, Firoozeh Dumas, and Anilú Bernardo write
about topics ELs might relate to: leaving your country,
culture shock, and living biculturally.
Give students time in class for self-selected independent
reading, insist they take books home in any language, and
use these stories to inspire them to write about their own
lives. —Mandy Stewart, Texas
Have an idea for a brief My Five article?
E-mail literacytoday@reading.org.
Calling all
leaders
Although nominations close
for the current ILA Board of
Directors election cycle on
Jan. 13, we are now accepting
nominations year round.
Nominate a literacy leader any
time at literacyworldwide
.org/elections, and they will
be considered for next year’s
election.
■ The search continues for
the next editors of Reading
Research Quarterly, our
premier, peer-reviewed
journal. The application
deadline is Feb. 15. For
more information, visit
literacyworldwide
.org/rrq-call.
LITERACY TODAY | January/February 2017 | literacyworldwide.org
ILA’s Guam Council welcomed
Notre Dame High School’s
National Honor Society at
a recent meeting. Students
assisted with set-up of the book
display, book sales, and door
prizes. Pictured are the students
along with their advisor, Kay
Artero, Council President
Matilda N. Rivera, and board
member Lea Calvo.
Did You
Hear?
A new reading law was
approved by United
Arab Emirates President
Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed
Al Nahyan that includes
initiatives to distribute
books for newborn
babies, designate
dedicated reading
time for government
employees, and make
books tax exempt—all
to instill daily reading
habits.
What we’re reading
Looking for a new book? Pick up one of these titles that
this month’s Literacy Today contributors are currently
reading.
Inside Information
by Nell Duke (Scholastic/IRA)
—Sarah M. Lupo
The New Jim Crow: Mass Incarceration
in the Age of Colorblindness
by Michelle Alexander (The New Press)
—Jacqueline Stallworth
Struggling Readers: Engaging and
Teaching in Grades 3–8 by Maureen
McLaughlin and Timothy V. Rasinski (ILA)
—Joseph Sanacore
Homecoming
by Michael Morpurgo
(Walker) —Flora Majdalawi
The Book of Unknown Americans
by Cristina Henríquez (Vintage)
—Lori Helman
House Arrest
by K.A. Holt (Chronicle)
—Brian Cook
H Is for Hawk
by Helen Macdonald (Grove Press)
—Leandra Elion
Man’s Search for Meaning
by Viktor E. Frankl (Beacon)
—Ryan B. Jackson
Visible Learning for Mathematics
by John Hattie, Douglas Fisher, and
Nancy Frey (Corwin)
—Beryl Bailey
Members come to us often to ask how they can
get more involved with the International Literacy
Association (ILA). They want to maximize their
membership and make a difference by contributing
to our shared mission of advancing literacy
worldwide.
We encourage your involvement because
we are your professional organization. We are
here to help you serve as a literacy leader in your
community—whether that community is your
classroom, your school, or your country.
Here we’d like to highlight a few opportunities
for member involvement, ways that you can
engage with the organization and help us work
together to make this the Age of Literacy.
Get Involved With ILA
ILA UPDATE
A call for nominations for ILA’s Board of
Directors was sent out in October, and although
the deadline for the current election cycle
closes January 13, we recently began accepting
nominations year round. So even if you’re
reading this after the cutoff date, I encourage
you to visit literacyworldwide.org/serve and
consider a self-nomination or recommending a
peer to lead the organization’s continued efforts
to transform lives through literacy.
Professional organizations rely on members like
you to guide their direction—and it’s important to
note that leadership opportunities with ILA extend
beyond the Board.
We also have a network of nearly 30 active
special interest groups that focus on topics
ranging from balanced reading to social
responsibility. This is a good route for members
looking to connect with like-minded peers to
drive conversations around specific topics they’re
passionate about that might not be getting
enough attention.
There are also leadership roles within the
larger ILA network of chapters and affiliates across
the globe, whether it’s serving as an officer or a
committee chair. Your contributions at the local
level play a large part in making ILA a vibrant
community of literacy leaders.
Visit literacyworldwide.org/get-involved/
ila-network to find out more about how to get
involved in our vast network.
2. Become a leader in the organization
6
literacyworldwide.org | January/February 2017 | LITERACY TODAY
1. Shape the professional knowledge base
We welcome reviewers for our three academic journals—The Reading Teacher, Journal of Adolescent &
Adult Literacy, and Reading Research Quarterly—as well as our annual conference. When you provide your
perspective on potential publications or conference presentations, you help shape critical knowledge that
is then disseminated worldwide to advance the field.
Peer review is an important part of the professional literature base, and authors and presenters rely
on quality reviews to improve their work. If you have time to contribute in this way, please let us know.
For information on reviewing for a journal, visit literacyworldwide.org/get-involved/be-a-reviewer. To
volunteer as a reviewer for conference, e-mail conventionproposals@reading.org.
3. Participate in a committee or task force
Committees are a vital part of the organization and
provide valuable input on a variety of issues that
help shape the literacy agenda. As this new year
starts, we will be filling positions on a number of
committees.
There are several types, including:
Topically related groups such as assessment,
early literacy, or adolescent literacy tasked
with developing position papers, knowledge
dissemination, and providing input on policy
Award committees, which focus on
recognition of literacy educators and
scholars and are tasked with identifying and
reviewing potential awardees and making a
recommendation for the winner
Task groups, which focus on specific needs of
the organization such as responding to federal
policy and developing new programs
You can fill out a volunteer form with
information about your areas of interest at
literacyworldwide.org/committees, and we’ll
let you know if we have a committee available
that would be a good fit. Even if there isn’t one at
this time, we’ll keep your application on file as a
potential resource for other opportunities.
ILA wouldn’t be the organization it is today
without the valuable contributions of its members.
No matter where or how
you choose to serve, you
can make a difference.
Douglas Fisher
Vice President of the Board
Spread the word about ILA and inspire others to join the movement.
Visit literacyworldwide.org/ilatoolkit today!
HELP US SPREAD THE WORD
ABOUT ILA!
It’s easy!
Visit literacyworldwide.org/ilatoolkit
to get everything you need to share
information about ILA in person and
with your social network.
Show your aspiring teachers,
administrators, council members, fellow
educators, friends, or community how
ILA transforms lives through literacy.
LITERACY TODAY | January/February 2017 | literacyworldwide.org
attended my grandson Gabriel’s Meet the Teacher Night last year, and I have
yet to recover from the negative experience. His fourth-grade teacher proudly
announced that this was the year the teachers “cut the umbilical cord.” Not
once did she mention that she cares for the children who are entrusted to her or
that she provides accommodations for children with special needs. She focused
exclusively on content, curriculum, and standards.
As the school year progressed, things became worse for my grandson, who
has special needs. One day he wrote an extended response to a book in R.L.
Stine’s Goosebumps series in which he indicated why he loved the book. He
struggled with this assignment because he has severe issues with fine motor
skills and with ADHD. Yet he was happy with the outcome. Regrettably, his
teacher’s only comment was, “Well, doesn’t everyone like Goosebumps?”
Another day, Gabriel spent 90 minutes writing a required poem for
homework. Again, he struggled with manuscript print and with his poor
focusing ability; yet he persevered despite his challenges and was proud of
his accomplishment. After reading his poem, his teacher’s only comment was
criticism of his grammar. Not once did she compliment his efforts.
That night, Gabriel cried uncontrollably for two hours and said his
teacher didn’t like him. He most certainly was right. Imagine being a child
and sustaining a 40-week school year with an insensitive teacher who
demonstrates favoritism toward other children who excel academically.
Negative incidents like these continued throughout the school year. Whenever
Gabriel’s mom voiced her concerns to the teacher and the principal, the teacher
denied behaving unprofessionally and then made hurtful comments to Gabriel
in class. This content-driven teacher knew little about the struggles of a child
with special needs. Worse, she didn’t seem to care about getting to know him
and finding ways to reach him, even though this type of caring is inextricably
connected to learning.
Needed: a different teacher response
Let’s reflect on how a caring teacher would have responded differently to the
above scenarios.
When children write a response to anything, the first teacher
consideration is to compliment them for their efforts. Compliments related
to specific accomplishments go a long way in helping children to be receptive
to subsequent, constructive criticism. The teacher could have said that she
and others also love the R.L. Stine books and that she was impressed with
aspects of Gabriel’s writing, such as how he organized his thoughts, developed
his ideas, used a variety of sentences, included interesting vocabulary
and synonyms, and persevered with his assignment. She also could have
recommended other titles in the Goosebumps series. Specific compliments
are great ways of opening doors to improving literacy, as children are more
Meaningful connections with students come down to the
simple act of caring
LITERACY
LEADERSHIP
THE ROOT OF
CONNECTION
Joseph Sanacore
(jsanac@optonline.net), an
ILA member since 2003,
is a student advocate,
researcher, and professor
at the Post Campus of
Long Island University in
New York. A prolific writer,
he is a former department
editor for ILA’s Journal of
Adolescent & Adult Literacy
(JAAL) and a peer reviewer
for both JAAL and The
Reading Teacher.
By Joseph Sanacore
8
literacyworldwide.org | January/February 2017 | LITERACY TODAY