his time last year, we were hard at work
preparing a very special edition of this
magazine. Not only was it our popular Digital
Literacies issue, but it was also the issue that
would introduce members to the future of our
organization.
Jan. 26 marked the official switch of
our name from the International Reading
Association to the International Literacy
Association. It was unveiled with the bright
ILA logo splashed on the cover of what was then
Reading Today, followed by a beautiful four-page
spread written by Executive Director Marcie
Craig Post. She detailed the history behind the
transformation and what our vision was moving
forward as an organization that honors a much
broader definition of literacy.
We trust that you have felt the ILA
difference this past year, and I invite you to
share your thoughts with us on social media or
through e-mail as we celebrate in the coming
weeks. You’ll also want to check out our article
marking the anniversary (page 8), which
includes thoughts from ILA leadership and
members alike.
Of course, you also can’t miss the package
of digital literacy articles you’ll find in this
issue. It starts with our Two Takes (page 14) on
whether computer programming should be a
mandatory subject, followed by our cover story
examining the challenges of the digital divide
(page 16). Other articles include the importance
of teaching digital citizenship (page 28),
balancing text and tech (page 32), building your
own multimodal text sets (page 34), and much
more.
Happy reading, and here’s to another year
of moving forward.
Warmly,
A YEAR OF CHANGE
Colleen Patrice Clark
Managing Editor
cclark@reading.org
Closing the
Digital Divide
• What educators can do to help
bridge the technology skills gap
• Teaching students to become
responsible digital citizens
• Top tech tools for the inclusive
classroom
January/February 2016
Volume 33, Issue 4
LITERACY TODAY
“Fiction should be a hot topic”
The [Sept/Oct 2015] issue of Literacy Today contains somewhat contradictory messages: Reading
“informational texts” is considered “a hot topic” that “should be hot,” a view that coincides with
the Common Core’s heavy focus on nonfiction (“What’s Hot in 2016”). Fiction is not mentioned.
But college student Brandon Dixon (“Literacy Is the Answer”) tells us that fiction has made
the difference in his life, contributing not only to his knowledge of the world but also to his
ethical development and understanding of other people’s views.
Mr. Dixon is not alone. In a recent interview in The Guardian, President Obama gives fiction
the credit for his understanding that “the world is complicated and full of greys…(and that) it’s
possible to connect with someone else even though they’re very different from you.”
Studies confirm that fiction readers develop high levels of literacy, a great deal of knowledge
in many different areas, the capacity to empathize with others, and a greater tolerance for
vagueness. In a recent study from the University of London, fiction reading was a very strong
predictor of adult vocabulary knowledge, stronger than reading nonfiction.
With these powerful testimonies, supported by empirical evidence, fiction should be a hot
topic in literacy, maybe the hottest one of all.
—Stephen Krashen, Professor Emeritus, University of Southern California
LETTER TO
THE EDITOR
EDITOR’S
NOTE
2
January/February 2016 | LITERACY TODAY