MAKE IT
COUNT
’m going to say it: Time flies.
It’s one of the clichés I hate the
most, but not because of its overuse.
It’s because it’s so darn true that it
scares me. How is it March? How is
the school year almost over? How
is our ILA transformation well
underway, and how is conference
just a few short months away?
I could go on. And on. But I’ll
spare you.
My point is that rather than get
caught up in how quickly tomorrow
will be here (don’t go looking at the
clock), we need to stay grounded
by talking about what we can
do today. We want you to get the
support you need and help each
other, too, especially as we enter
this homestretch, and keep your
focus on the prize—changing your
students’ lives.
You’ll find that focus in this
issue, from articles on making
reading a year-round habit (page 26)
to the simple power of read-alouds
(page 28). We’ll also dig deeper into
text complexity and what it really
means (page 30), and how to foster
ownership among students when
writing from sources (page 32).
Fitting with our conference
theme of transformation, we’ll
examine what it means to be a
culturally responsive educator
(page 6), and why it’s so necessary in
today’s world, as well as how some
schools might be able to provide
more opportunities and freedom for
go-getter teachers (page 8).
Transformation is a very
fitting theme. We can’t go through
this evolution to ILA without asking
you to join us on our mission. So
take time to read our conference
coverage, starting on page 10, and
the accompanying Conference
Preview supplement packaged with
this issue. We’re so excited about
the amazing lineup of speakers, but
the best part is the message you will
walk away with from ILA 2015: You
are an agent of change. You are at
the frontlines of spreading literacy
to every corner of the world, and
you hold the power to transform
your practice and your students.
I look forward to seeing many of
you in St. Louis, which (depending
on when you read this) is about
130 days away. Let’s make each day
count.
Warmly,
EDITOR’S
NOTE
Colleen Patrice Clark
Managing Editor
cclark@reading.org
2
March/April 2015 | READING TODAY