May/June 2015
Volume 32, Number 6
Closing the
Diversity Gap
• Why young readers need
more authenticity
• Celebrating the best in
diverse literature
• How a children’s book can
bring an entire community together
READING TODAY
Contents
READING TODAY
Volume 32, Number 6
May/June 2015
EDITORIAL STAFF
Communications Manager Lara Deloza
Managing Editor Colleen Patrice Clark
Senior Staff Writer April Hall
Communications Assistant Morgan Ratner
Interns Logan Farmer and Madelaine Levey
ILA LEADERSHIP
Executive Director Marcie Craig Post
Associate Executive Director Stephen Sye
BOARD MEMBERS
Jill D. Lewis-Spector, New Jersey City
University, President; Diane Barone, University
of Nevada, Reno, Vice President; Donald Bear,
Iowa State University; Julie Coiro, University of
Rhode Island; Lori DiGisi, Framingham Public
Schools, Massachusetts; Bernadette Dwyer,
St. Patrick’s College, Drumcondra, Dublin
City University; Laurie A. Elish-Piper, Northern
Illinois University; Douglas Fisher, San Diego
State University; Rona F. Flippo, University of
Massachusetts Boston; Shelley Stagg Peterson,
OISE/University of Toronto; Julianne Scullen,
Anoka-Hennepin School District, Minnesota
ADVERTISING
For information, contact Megan Ferguson at
800-336-7323 ext. 417 or advertising@reading.
org. Acceptance of advertising does not imply
endorsement.
ABOUT US
Reading 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
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the cost of ILA membership. To join, visit
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© International Literacy Association
A Continued Call
for Diverse Books
18
2
EDITOR’S NOTE
4
LIT BITS
6
PRESIDENT’S MESSAGE
8
OUR VIEW
LITERACY LEADERSHIP
10
Going Above and Beyond to Meet Students’ Basic Needs
14
TWO TAKES
CHILDREN’S LITERATURE
16
Terrell Young and Deanna Day Provide Insight Into our Special Issue
22
This Year’s Picks for Notable Books for a Global Society
24
Using Poetry to Integrate All Content Areas
28
Reading Aloud to Promote Agency
30
The Power of Children’s Literature to Bring a Whole Community Together
34
A Behind-the-Scenes Look at ILA’s Children’s and YA Book Awards
THE ENGAGING CLASSROOM
36
Strategies for Reaching Struggling Readers
38
Handing Assessment Over to Students
ANNUAL CONFERENCE
40 Shiza Shahid and the Malala Fund’s Mission to Make Education
a Basic Right for Girls Around the World
44 Gett ing the Most Out of the Exhibit Hall Experience
THE ILA NETWORK
46 Inspiring the Next Generation of Teachers
48 EVENTS
50
MEMBER SPOTLIGHT
Colleen Patrice Clark
Managing Editor
cclark@reading.org
here is nothing quite like children’s literature,
and it doesn’t matter what age you teach—or,
for that matter, whether you’re even a teacher.
For nearly everyone, the thought of these books
conjures up memories of childhood and the
moments we “got it”—when our eyes were
opened to the power of printed words to inspire
us, transport us, make us laugh, or make us cry.
We pass these books down to our
students and children, and we eagerly
anticipate new awards and lists each year so
our classroom libraries and personal canons
can continue to grow. If that ritual sounds
familiar, then surely this special Children’s
Literature Issue will resonate with you.
If it’s new books you’re looking for,
you’ll want to read about our annual Notable
Books for a Global Society (page 22) list
and our Children’s and Young Adults’ Book
Awards (page 34). If you’re interested in using
children’s literature for a family engagement
initiative, then One Book, One Community
(page 30) is one you won’t want to miss.
Digging deeper, our cover story on page
18, “What Needs to Happen?”, examines why
diverse representation alone in books isn’t
enough—and what we need to do to keep the
momentum going in the call for more diverse
books.
It’s something we can’t ignore if we want
the power of children’s literature to reach its
full potential. So let’s work together to ensure
all children see themselves on the page and
have those joyful moments when they truly
“get it”—when they see their place in the world,
both now and where it can be in the future.
Warmly,
JOYFUL
MOMENTS
WHAT’S NEW IN
LITERACY TEACHING?
Weaving Together Time-Honored
Practices With New Research
KAREN WOOD
BRIAN KISSEL
JEANNE PARATORE
RACHEL McCORMACK
Edited by
© 2015
ISBN 978-0-87207-166-7
Nonmembers: $19.95
Members: $15.95
What’s New in Literacy Teaching?
Weaving Together Time-Honored
Practices With New Research
KAREN WOOD, JEANNE PARATORE,
BRIAN KISSEL, & RACHEL McCORMACK
Editors
Learn the latest literacy teaching strategies with this collection of articles from
the What’s New in Literacy Teaching? ILA E-ssentials series—with the addition
of two exclusive new chapters on classroom discourse and reading assessment—
that will pump up your practice AND meet your PD needs.
ORDER NOW! literacyworldwide.org/ebookwnlt
800.336.7323 (U.S. and Canada) | 302.731.1600 (all other countries)
EDITOR’S
NOTE
2
May/June 2015 | READING TODAY
EARLY BIRD
REGISTRATION
ENDS JUNE 29.
REGISTER TODAY!
ILA 2015 CONFERENCE & EXHIBITS
St. Louis, Missouri | July 18–20, 2015
WHY ATTEND?
6,000+
EDUCATORS
300+
SESSIONS
120+
EXHIBITORS
ilaconference.org
CONFERENCE & EXHIBITS JULY 18–20 | PRECONFERENCE INSTITUTES JULY 17
Our September/October issue will include ILA’s first-
ever 30 Under 30 list, and you’ll help determine who
gets selected. If you know rising leaders—whether
they’re transforming the classroom or the world as
a teacher or volunteer, a nonprofit leader or CEO,
or anything in between—we want to hear their
stories. Nominations are open through June 21. Visit
literacyworldwide.org/30under30 for more information.
Wanted:
Future Literacy
Leaders
ILD Kits Are On the Way
ILA has a fresh take on celebrating International Literacy
Day. To reflect our global commitment, we’ve created
activities inspired by a country that inspires us—the
Philippines. We’re intrigued by its powerful history, rich
culture, and dedication to literacy. Be on the lookout for
the activity kit in mid-May at literacyworldwide.org/ild.
What’s New?
Look for these updates and more on literacyworldwide.org:
ILA E-ssentials
■
“Implementing a Schoolwide Literacy Action Plan,” by
Martha Jan Mickler and Judith L. Irvin, for the Literacy
Practices That Adolescents Deserve series
ILA Bridges
■
“Creating Multigenre Projects to Celebrate Diversity:
Interdisciplinary Unit for Grades 3–5,” by Debbie Linville and
Leni Fragakis
■
“The Message: Using Hip-Hop Pedagogy as a Literacy Building
Tool for Grade 8,” by Courtne Thomas and Mirvetk Tonuzi
LIT BITS
4
May/June 2015 | READING TODAY
READING TODAY | May/June 2015
BY THE NUMBERS
<5%
20%
67%
45
6 in 10
Amount of 15-year-
old girls in OECD
countries who
consider pursuing a
career in engineering
or computers,
according to a new
PISA report on
gender disparities
Amount of
boys who
pursue those
careers, despite
performing
lower in
science and
mathematics
Teachers in England
reporting their job is
negatively aff ecting
their mental or
physical health,
according to a BBC
report. Unions cite
workload as the
culprit.
Cap on hours
recently approved
by the Florida
State Senate
that students
can spend on
state-authorized,
standardized tests
each year
Four-year-olds who
are not enrolled
in publicly funded
preschool programs,
according to the
U.S. Department
of Education,
amounting to 2.5
million children
Apps and Appetizers
Massachusetts Reading Association held a
unique networking event for members to learn
about new technology. Favorite apps were
shared while mingling at a popular Cambridge
restaurant. The most popular: Bitsboard, Record
of Reading, and Toontastic. What would your
pick be? Let us know by tweeting @ILAToday!
Did You Hear?
“There are applications here not just for reading disorders, but also for how
children are taught to read in the classroom.” —Chris McNorgan, psychology
professor, University of Buffalo, whose neuroimaging study published in Brain
& Language supports phonics as a critical component in literacy instruction
ILA’s The Reading Teacher (RT) and
Journal of Adolescent & Adult Literacy
(JAAL) welcomed new editorial teams
for the term June 1, 2015–May 31,
2021. The journals’ current editors will
continue publishing through May 2016
while the incoming editors build their
review board and establish content
strategy.
For RT: Jan Lacina & Robin Griffi th,
Texas Christian University
For JAAL: Kelly Chandler-Olcott
& Kathleen Hinchman, Syracuse
University
Meet the Editors
LA’s core message is literacy transforms lives. But what does that mean? Recent
discussion and policies concerning literacy instruction suggest that “transforming
lives” consists of advancing literacy achievement so students can attend college
and have successful careers.
These are important goals, but there is an even larger purpose to our
teaching—creating more productive citizens and societies.
Democracy can be defined in many ways, but one necessary element is active
participation in civic life. I contend that through our instruction—both what
and how we teach—we can contribute to the development of a citizenry with the
needed skills and the sense of personal agency for citizen engagement.
By Jill Lewis-Spector
THE LARGER
PURPOSE
Jill Lewis-Spector
(jlewisprof1@yahoo.com)
is the ILA president and a
professor emerita from New
Jersey City University.
Literacy instruction that prepares students to
become productive, engaged citizens
PRESIDENT’S
MESSAGE
6
May/June 2015 | READING TODAY
READING TODAY | May/June 2015
Maximizing this potential depends
greatly on what students witness and
experience as being valued societal
behavior. Thus, the importance of the
classroom experience, one of the first
nonfamily communities where children
learn how to be successful as an individual
and a group, can’t be minimized.
Elements for success
I have been privileged to visit
classrooms and talk with educators
throughout the world. I quickly learned
every one of us is committed to the
development of our students’ literacy
skills. I observed that, no matter the
conditions under which we teach,
instructional content and delivery
are positioned to promote future civic
competence and engagement.
Every one of us contributes to
the development of knowledge, skills,
attitudes, values, and intentions
needed for a competent and engaged
citizenry, elements identified in the
2013 publication Civic Education and
Competences for Engaging Citizens in
Democracies (Sense Publishers).
For some, knowledge signifies
something absolute. The student’s
relation to this knowledge seems little
more than memorizing information.
But students with this understanding
are ill-prepared for citizen engagement
where competing perspectives are
discussed and challenged.
Knowledge is a process and includes
accepting the possibility of more than
one set of answers. It’s why we expose
students to multiple genre and authentic
cross-cultural texts that represent
different points of view. Active citizens
need to comprehend and integrate
diverse concepts to arrive at substantiated
knowledge. As our students examine
competing ideas, we are preparing them
to be informed citizens.
Skills help us obtain, judge, and use
information to contribute to knowledge
construction. Skills can be as basic as
the ability to decode text. Deeper skills
are developed when students become
aware of their relation to the text and
ask questions such as “What am I
expected to conclude from this text?”
and “How do my own views affect my
interpretation?”
Particular knowledge and skills
can be taught and tested, but attitudes
cannot. It is here that we get to the
heart of the matter.
Even our youngest students carry
attitudes learned through interactions
with family and others. We cannot
(nor should we) force students to have
certain attitudes, but by attending to
how we teach, we create environments
and provide opportunities for students
to have a broadened experience of what
is acceptable and what is possible.
I often observed students working
collaboratively, an instructional
approach with academic benefits.
But this collaborative space can also
collapse the distance and alter attitudes
when differences among participants
are large. As students combine their
ideas, drawing upon the strengths and
experiences of others to achieve a goal,
we support them in all the processes
required for building a social support
system, establishing a workable code
of conduct, and recognizing how
community interdependence can
function effectively.
We encourage students to exercise
personal decision making, often asking
them to choose what they read and
decide how they demonstrate their
learning. As they alternate between
autonomy and collaboration, students
learn how to balance personal desires
and group preferences—preparation
for participation in a democracy.
Personal values undergird our own
actions and how we interpret the actions
of others. The values I saw promoted
in classrooms included respect for
differences, belief in equal treatment and
nonviolent resolution, and consideration
for others. Although unable to command
these values, we can create environments
in which actions that disregard them
impair the efficiency of the group and
interfere with the accomplishment
of a valued task.
Intention, our last component of
civic competence, refers to the unique
characteristic of civic association
that is motivated by a goal to be met
voluntarily by citizens.
Students in our classrooms set
and achieve goals through communal
action. I witnessed them designing and
undertaking purposeful projects such
as creating instructional podcasts and
campaigning for library books. Students
used sophisticated literacy skills while
discovering their potential to shape their
futures and grapple with civic issues.
Strong, sustainable democracies
require strong democratic leaders.
Sometimes class leaders emerge
naturally by helping others to take
responsibility, work as a team, or
resolve conflicts. We encourage shared
governance, guiding students through
project-based learning and alternating
leadership roles we assign to ensure all
students gain practice with leadership
skills and appreciate the role of a leader
in empowering others.
Experiencing shared governance in
classrooms is key to understanding how
civil societies behave.
The end result
Some students enter classrooms
with the knowledge, skills, values,
and attitudes necessary for citizen
participation and believe their personal
goals are achievable. Fortunately, our
literacy instruction—how and what
we teach—increases the possibility of
promoting citizen engagement among
all students while in our classrooms and
continuing into their adult lives.
I believe this is the larger purpose
of our instruction, and I have witnessed
teachers everywhere educating
students to become literate, purposeful,
and civic-minded individuals capable
of making a difference in their
communities.
Thank you for this privilege. Thank
you for what you do.
Experiencing shared governance in
classrooms is key to understanding how
civil societies behave.
Catch Jill Lewis-Spector
at ILA 2015
Lewis-Spector, along with
Peter Freebody, will present on
“Literacy for Engaged Citizenship:
Preparing Students for the Public
Space” on Saturday, July 18.
amilies: We need you. We need you to read to your children. We need you to
support their learning at home. We need you to take on literacy and learning as a
priority for the future of our children and the future of our world.
For those of us in education, the message is so straightforward and simple, we
presume the majority of the public will agree and understand why it is so crucial.
But if this is the case—if the majority gets it—then why are the statistics on
literacy so grim?
By Marcie Craig Post
LITERACY
STARTS AT HOME
Marcie Craig Post
(mpost@reading.org) is
the executive director of
the International Literacy
Association.
Family engagement is imperative for continued
student achievement
OUR VIEW
8
May/June 2015 | READING TODAY