Archive for IRA Meetings and Events

A special evening event on Tuesday, May 6, during the International Reading Association's Annual Convention honored Legends of Urban Education. The event, which was initiated by IRA's Urban Diversity Initiatives Commission and organized by IRA, was held at the King Center in Atlanta.

In the College Section, the Reading Faculty of the Atlanta University Center was honored: Ruby L. Thompson, Gloria Mixon, Charles Davis (posthumously), Lynette Sain-Gaines (posthumously), Addie Mitchell, Mildred Freeman (posthumously), Isabella T. Jenkins, and Miriam H. Jellins. Over the past 40 years, the Atlanta University Center has prepared scores of teachers, and its faculty also instituted the Atlanta University Reading Conference—a unique celebration of researchers and writers of color.

Christine King Farris, Asa G. Hilliard III (posthumously), and Mary Eleanor Rhodes Hoover (posthumously) also were honored in the College Section. King Farris was honored for her lifetime of dedicated service in the preparation of students at Spelman College for teaching. Hilliard was cited for his advocacy for children, especially the poor and underserved. His many books include The Maroon Within Us: Selected Essays on African American Community Socialization. Hoover enjoyed a distinguished career at Howard University. She was a founder of the National Association of Black Reading and English Language Arts Educators and coeditor of the IRA book Teaching Reading to African American Learners: Perspectives and Practices.

In the Public School Section, Alonzo A. Crim, Benjamin Elijah Mays, and Gertrude Williams were honored posthumously. Crim was cited for his leadership and guidance of the Atlanta Public Schools through the turbulent times just after the Brown v. Board of Education decision in what became known as "The Atlanta Compromise." Mays was honored for his keen insight and fatherly wisdom, and specifically for his service as president of the Atlanta Board of Education. Williams founded and served as the first president of the Concerned Educators of Black Students Special Interest Group of IRA, and she actively promoted minority participation in IRA.

In the Public Section, Jean Young and Coretta Scott King were honored posthumously. Young, a former reading specialist, was cited for her support of numerous charities and causes and political and social issues. Throughout her career, she was devoted to literacy, education, and the mission of IRA. Scott King was honored for her lifelong dedication to civil and human rights, as well as for her establishment of the prestigious Coretta Scott King Book Awards, presented each year by the American Library Association to honor quality literature written and illustrated by people of color.

The International Reading Association acknowledged and thanked the Pearson Foundation for its generous support of this event, and representatives of the Foundation presented information about the Jumpstart initiative and Read for the Record event. For further information, visit the Jumpstart website.

Noted educator Alfred Tatum and award-winning author Walter Dean Myers shared the spotlight as Special Featured Speakers at the IRA Annual Convention on Tuesday afternoon, addressing issues involved in engaging adolescent African American males in reading. First, Tatum introduced Jonathan Thomas, a young man who spoke briefly but eloquently about his struggles to over come difficulties with reading.

Tatum focused his comments on the need to reconnect African American males with “textual lineages”—texts they find meaningful or significant or that affect their lives. “We have had a severing of textual lineages in our schools,” Tatum said. “Many students suffer an underexposure to texts they find meaningful.”

Speaking with passion, Tatum said, “We need to find a way to strengthen our ideology for educating African American males. It’s not just about students’ literacies. It’s about their lives.”

Next, Myers talked about his writing and his relationship with his readers. He said he writes books because “it’s the space I need to be in.” Likewise, he said, his readers are looking for a place to be.

“I’ve created places for these young people to be where they are comfortable,” he said. As an author, he said that he needs to give readers clues about why his books will speak to them and help extend them from where they are to other places they can be comfortable. He concluded by asking teachers to help bring meaningful literature into the classroom. The session ended with a question and answer session.

“We can’t treat ‘literacy’ as a bounded problem to be solved,” said Catherine E. Snow of the Harvard Graduate School of Education, the keynote speaker at the Reading Research 2008 conference, held on Saturday, May 3, in Atlanta, Georgia, just prior to the IRA Annual Convention. “Even if we could, that would be insufficient to ensure improved educational outcomes.”

Citing a wide range of research, Snow delivered a thought-provoking speech titled “Improving Literacy Outcomes: A Time to Act.” Her presentation included reasons for pessimism regarding literacy education, reasons for hope, a discussion of the scope of the challenge, and recommendations for action.

In addition to hearing Snow, attendees at Reading Research 2008 also had an opportunity to participate in smaller breakout sessions organized around four strands: reading instruction, assessment, adolescent literacy, and teacher quality.

Peter Afflerbach of the University of Maryland, one of the speakers in the assessment strand, spoke about “Assessment and Accountability: From Teachable Moments to Tests.” He spoke of the need for balance between testing and instruction, noting that in a thoughtful assessment system, formative and summative assessment work together. He also noted that “a test score tells us little or nothing of the means by which it was achieved.”

Julie Coiro of the University of Connecticut, one of the speakers in the adolescent strand, spoke about what she called a beginning research effort to understand and measure the differences between online and offline reading skills in young readers. Her research used “new literacies” approaches to studying individual students who were asked to perform a set of tasks using Internet websites to compile and evaluate information. Because some students who don’t read at a high level offline were able navigators online, she thinks there is something beyond offline reading skills that contributes to online reading comprehension and is working to pinpoint exactly what those skills or strategies may be.

Another highlight of Reading Research 2008 was the awards luncheon, at which several research awards were presented or announced. See the Wednesday issue of Convention Highlights for information about IRA award winners.

Also at the luncheon, Karen Douglas, director of the Status of Reading Instruction Institute, gave an overview of the Institute’s activities. The Institute has contracted with the Institute for Social Research at the University of Michigan to conduct the Description of Reading Instruction Study. The study will gather rigorous, objective information about how teachers teach reading in elementary classrooms.

Watch for Snow’s presentation (as well as others submitted during the IRA Annual Convention) to be posted in the convention area of the IRA website soon after the conference ends. Some presentation materials that were submitted prior to the convention are already posted.

 The 2008 Government Relations Workshop hosted by the International Reading Association on February 21–22, 2008 in Washington, D.C., will help you strengthen your advocacy efforts and actively impact legislation such as the reauthorization of NCLB. You will learn about federal and state legislative issues and have the opportunity to communicate directly with your congressional leaders or their staffs.

This is a no-cost workshop for IRA members hosted by IRA’s Washington Office and the Government Relations Committee. There is a fully refundable $50.00 registration fee. This fee is refunded upon notification of cancellation or when attending the conference. This policy is to provide an accurate meal count to IRA. We will provide a breakfast and working lunch on Friday. All other related expenses (transportation, lodging, food, and entertainment) are the responsibility of the workshop attendees. Many participants receive funding from their state councils to help pay for costs.

Feel free to call the IRA Washington office with questions regarding the workshop at 202-624-8800 or contact us via e-mail. Updates for the Workshop will be posted on the IRA website, www.reading.org. We look forward to seeing you in February 2008.

 Sherman Alexie, who will serve as the Book and Author Luncheon speaker at the 2008 IRA Annual Convention in Atlanta, Georgia, is a finalist for the 2007 National Book Award in the Young People's Literature category for his young adult novel The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian. The winners will be named in November. For further information about the National Book Awards, visit the National Book Foundation website.

Life in southern Sudan was good before the region was enveloped in conflict, John Bul Dau told the audience at an International Literacy Day event co-hosted by the International Reading Asssociation and the National Geographic Society in Washington, DC, on September 11. Dau, one of the “Lost Boys of Sudan” featured in an award-winning film, God Grew Tired of Us, said he and his family lived an “ordinary life” there, raising cattle and farming. One day in 1987 the village was attacked by government soldiers. His family was scattered and he and thousands of other young boys and girls fled Sudan. After enduring untold hardships, he eventually ended in a United Nations camp, where he learned to read and write. The “gift of literacy” opened the world to him and he enjoined the audience to share that gift with others. Look for his story in the next issue of Reading Today.

 Pulitzer Prize-winning author Alice Walker has been named to speak at the Thursday General Session during the International Reading Association's 53rd Annual Convention, which is scheduled for May 4-8, 2008, in Atlanta, Georgia. Walker's works include The Color Purple and other literary fiction, many volumes of poetry, powerful nonfiction collections, and several children's books, including the forthcoming title Why War Is Never a Good Idea.

Walker joins an already strong lineup of General Session speakers: actress and children's book author Jamie Lee Curtis (Monday); Andreas Schleicher, expert on international assessments (Tuesday); and Rafe Esquith, celebrated educator and author (Wednesday). For further information about the 2008 IRA Annual Convention, visit the IRA website.

 IRA President Linda Gambrell, President-elect Barbara J. Walker, and Executive Director Alan Farstrup describe as “outstanding” the planning and organization for the 22nd World Congress on Reading, which will take place July 28 to 31, 2008 in San Jose, Costa Rica. The three were visiting Costa Rica to assist in the preparation for next year’s World Congress and received press coverage in La Nacion, a leading newspaper in that country. Gambrell explained that given the great cultural complexity of the world “our students need to have high levels of reading and writing” and teachers who are prepared to teach them well. Read an English translation of that article.

Lea acerca del 22° Congreso Mundial de Lectura en este artículo que publicó el periòdico La Naciòn de San José, Costa Rica.

 Find out about IRA’s plans for co-conventions in 2009: the 54th Annual Convention West, to be held in Phoenix, February 21–25, 2009, and the 54th Annual Convention North Central, in Minneapolis, May 3–7, 2009. Begin with the list of Frequently Asked Questions, and watch for additional details to be posted as they become available.

  Join Richard Long, IRA Director of Government Relations, in a live audioconference on Monday, June 18, at 8:00 pm EDT as he discusses federal spending on education programs and the status of the reauthorization of the No Child Left Behind Act.

This is a free service, but registration is limited. Participants are asked to register by June 14 with btierney@reading.org to receive the call-in number and a Power Point set of slides.

Dr. Long will brief callers for about 20 minutes and then answer questions. Participants are asked to e-mail their questions in advance to btierney@reading.org. We cannot guarantee that all questions will be answered during the call. We will try to answer all questions by e-mail. Concise questions are encouraged. Please be sure to include your name and affiliation when posting your questions.

Check the LAT blog www.latadvisory.blogspot.com for breaking news on developments in Washington, DC that may affect reading instruction and the literacy community.

A daily review of convention news from the staff of Reading Today

 The Fourth General Session on Thursday during the IRA Annual Convention featured the passing of the IRA Presidential gavel from Timothy Shanahan to Linda Gambrell, the honoring of outgoing IRA Board members and members of the Local Arrangements Committee, a presentation by Ontario Minister of Education Kathleen Wynne, a musical invitation to the 2008 IRA Annual Convention in Atlanta, and more.

Incoming IRA President Linda Gambrell read the picture book Wolf by Becky Bloom, a story about a wolf who discovers the value of reading. “Like Wolf, we are all members of an important literacy community—the International Reading Association,” Gambrell said. “Like Wolf, we want all our students to become members of the literacy community.”

Featured speaker Sharon Robinson discussed the legacy of her father, baseball legend Jackie Robinson, and talked about how she is working to continue that legacy through her books for children. She closed by reading from her book Safe at Home, leaving to enthusastic applause.

A daily review of convention news from the staff of Reading Today

 At the Awards Banquet during the IRA Annual Convention on Wednesday, popular author Steven Layne urged listeners to wonder “what if?” He described the arduous process he went through to get his publisher to agree to let his friend Ard Hoyt do the illustrations for his new book Love the Baby, and he read the finished work.

There were “magic” wands at each table, and he urged listeners to use their magic with their students or families to help others imagine the “what ifs?” in their lives. “We have the potential to be the fairy godmother or godfather for someone,” he said. “Think about someone you know who needs a chance.”

Layne recalled how 13 years ago he attended his first IRA Annual Convention in Toronto as a fifth-grade teacher from Illinois. While there, he dropped off at a publisher’s booth the manuscript for what became his first book, Thomas’s Sheep and the Great Geography Test. Many successful books later, Layne says it all started for him at the IRA Annual Convention in 1994.

He challenged listeners “to leave tonight determined to explore new possibilities or to wave the wand for someone.”

A daily review of convention news from the staff of Reading Today

 Despite Lemony Snicket’s propensity for doom and gloom, there was a series of fortunate events for hundreds of convention-goers Wednesday who had the opportunity to hear featured speaker Daniel Handler, creator of the character Lemony Snicket, as well as featured authors Katherine Paterson and Esme Raji Codell, who spoke earlier in the day.

A daily review of convention news from the staff of Reading Today

  Wednesday’s general session speaker at the IRA Annual Convention, children’s rights activist Craig Kielburger, moved the crowd with an impassioned presentation about ways all of us—including students—can make a difference in the world. In his own case, he noted that “what started as a group of a dozen 12-year-olds has grown into an international project.” The Free the Children organization, which he founded as a youngster, has gone on to build more than 400 primary schools and educate more than 35,000 children throughout the world.

Kielburger talked about the organization’s new campaign, “Me to We,” which emphasizes the difference that individuals can make. “A simple act of good can have a ripple effect we can never imagine,” he said.

Kielburger challenged teachers, students, and families to do what they can—large or small—to make the world a better place. He closed with a statement that Mother Teresa made when asked about how she approached her work. “In this life we can do no great things,” she said. “We can only do small things with great love.”

For further information about the “Me to We” campaign, visit the campaign website.

A daily review of convention news from the staff of Reading Today

  “Not everything that can be counted counts—and not everything that counts can be counted,” said William Teale, paraphrasing Albert Einstein and highlighting concerns some educators have about the current dominance of database decision making in policy and legislation. He spoke at a session during IRA’s 52nd Annual Convention.

In a presentation Wednesday, Teale addressed the “current condition of early-literacy instruction in the United States,” which he sees as a cause for concern. In preschools and primary grades throughout the United States, he said, children’s reading ability is being measured by how many letters they know, their phonological awareness, and their oral fluency.

A daily review of convention news from the staff of Reading Today

 Attendees at the IRA Annual Convention had a full slate of activities to choose from on Tuesday. Here are a few of the day’s highlights.

Alice Hoffman, best-selling author and screenwriter, took a warmly appreciative audience on a short tour into her mind and heart at the Second General Session on Tuesday. The keynote speaker said this year marks the 30th anniversary of the publication of her first novel, Property Of.

Each year, people flock to the Exhibit Hall to get autographs from popular authors such as Avi.

A daily review of convention news from the staff of Reading Today

 With a “top o’ the mornin’ to you,” outgoing President Timothy Shanahan greeted thousands of “my closest friends” to open the 52nd Annual International Reading Association Convention in Toronto, Canada. After paying tribute to local arrangements Chair Shelley Stagg Peterson, Shanahan honored Carl Braun, 1990–1991 past president, and draped the blue Grand Marshal banner across his chest. “We are here to learn, share, and celebrate literacy,” Shanahan said, “Toronto’s story is written in several languages.”

And by way of example, one of the promotions subcommittee chairs, Simon deJocas, welcomed attendees in French and English. He pointed out that bilingualism has equal rights in Canada, that Canada has a Prime Minister—not a President—and to laughter from the audience, he avowed, “Canada is NOT the 51st state.”

A daily review of convention news from the staff of Reading Today

 Debra Winger and Dawn Anna hugged as they took the stage at the opening session of IRA’s 52nd Annual IRA Convention in Toronto. Their affection for each other was apparent: They became friends when their lives were interwoven by the national tragedy of the Columbine High School massacre in April, 1999.

Anna’s daughter, Lauren, was slain, shot 10 times by two students who went on a rampage, killing 12 students and a teacher, as well as wounding 24 others, before they committed suicide. Winger portrayed Anna in the 2005 movie, Dawn Anna, made for Lifetime Television about the single mother of four, teacher, and volleyball coach, who survived a rare brain disorder, endured the tragedy, all the while keeping her family intact, strong, and united.

A daily review of convention news from the staff of Reading Today

 The Internet is “the defining technology for reading,” said Donald J. Leu of the University of Connecticut in his keynote address at the 2007 Reading Research Conference on Saturday. He noted that online reading comprehension is quite different than paper reading comprehension, adding that “our failure to understand the Internet as a reading issue has worked to perpetuate reading gaps.” He described changes that needed to be made to make better use of technology. He concluded, “If we do not change, those who need our help the most will continue to receive it the least. We will lose an entire generation of students who have the power to change our world in powerful ways.”

  Join Richard Long, IRA Director of Government Relations, in a live audioconference on Tuesday, April 24, at 8:00 p.m. EST as he discusses the House and Senate Education Committees’ work on the reauthorization of the No Child Left Behind Act as well as the status of Reading First.

This will be a free service, but registration is limited. Participants are asked to register by April 20 with btierney@reading.org to receive the call-in number and a Power Point set of slides.

 Literacy: A Path Out of Extremism? was the topic of the International Reading Association’s Global Perspectives Forum April 9 in Washington, DC. A panel of experts considered the notion that though literacy is key to unlocking the potential of the human intellect in order to enrich lives and build better societies, literacy may not be the panacea for all the world’s problems. Panel members were: Arab League Ambassador Dr. Hussein Hassouna; Dr. Samdani Fakir, a visiting professor at the School for International Training in Vermont; Dr. Frank Dall, a senior researcher at George Washington University, and Dr. Timothy Shanahan, current president of IRA and the director of the Center for Literacy at the University of Illinois at Chicago.

About 50 people participated in the dialogue at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace, hosted by the International Reading Association. After the panel discussion, there were three roundtable discussions via telephone conferencing with literacy experts Hellen Inyega in Kenya, Aslam Adeeb in Pakistan, and Bardhyl Musai in Albania. The guest panelists and those participating connected on a variety of levels. An in–depth report on the forum and roundtables will be published by IRA in late spring. Look for it on IRA’s website. For more information about the Global Perspectives series, contact globalperspectives@reading.org.

 The International Reading Association will host the Fourth Annual Global Perspectives on Literacy forum on Monday, April 9, 2007, at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace in Washington, DC. The theme of this year’s forum is “Literacy: A Path Out of Extremism?” Contact IRA’s Washington Office for details.

 The International Reading Association will host the Fourth Annual Global Perspectives on Literacy forum on Monday, April 9, 2007, at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace in Washington, DC. The theme of this year’s forum is “Literacy: A Path Out of Extremism?” Contact IRA’s Washington Office for details.

  The Lieutenant Governor of Ontario, James K. Bartleman, is the latest in a growing list of featured speakers at IRA’s 52nd Annual Convention, May 13–17, 2007, in Toronto. Learn about this fascinating man and staunch advocate of literacy!

 IRA’s Urban Diversity Commission is conducting a Leadership Academy on “Addressing Diversity: An Essential Element in the Teaching/Learning Process,” on November 3–4, 2006, in Columbia, South Carolina. The academy is intended to help educators be successful in teaching linguistically and culturally diverse students. Please join us for what will be an important and informative meeting. Download description and application form.

The International Reading Association's 21st World Congress on Reading came to a close on August 10 with thanks to the Hungarian Local Arrangements Committee and an invitation to the 22nd World Congress, scheduled for July 28 to August 1, 2008, in San Jose, Costa Rica.

Thursday's program included a full set of meetings, including two fascinating symposia relating to the production of texts for the developing world. The first outlined the Africa Education Initiative and the Textbook and Learning Materials Project, which aim to produce as many as 15 million books for students in Subsaharan Africa by 2010. Speakers described new software that permits teachers (and even students) to easily produce their own simple books. The afternoon symposium described a project titled "Seeds of Science, Roots of Reading," which links science and literacy. Ways to adapt this project to complement the African project also were discussed.

The Closing General Session featured Andrew Biemiller of Canada, who emphasized the importance of vocabulary instruction in elementary school. "Until we are prepared to view vocabulary as important as readng and mathematical skills, at least one third of North American school children will have unnecessarily poor academic progress," Biemiller concluded.

Since its inception at the IRA World Congress in Jamaica, the Children's Literature Symposium has become a popular fixture. This year's event, cochaired by Bernice Cullinan and Elizabeth Poe, focused on the rich history and recent developments relating to Hungarian children's literature.

Presentations and papers by noted Hungarian authors Pal Bekes and Bela Rigo covered the written word, and illustrator Krisztina Renyi described the work of many noted Hungarian illustrators. Andrea Cheng, an American writer with Hungarian roots, many of whose books deal with themes relating to Hungary, gave an entertaining and personal look at how she develops her books.

Finally, Ruth Biro and Judith Lechner listed and discussed a variety of children's books from or about Hungary. Symposium attendees left with a greater understanding of and appreciation for Hungarian children's literature.

The Opening General Session of IRA's 21st World Congress on Reading on Tuesday featured a keynote address by Andreas Schleicher of the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD), who spoke eloquently on "Literacy Skills for the World of Tomorrow." Schleicher used a variety of statistics from international surveys of reading to back his points about trends and needs.

Noting that "reading is the currency in the knowledge society," Schleicher pointed out that a few OECD countries have managed to foster high levels of overall reading achievement while also achieving high levels of equity among students from various socioeconomic backgrounds. "High and equitable performance results in reading are not impossible," Schleicher said, "but they are something we can achieve."

For the future, Schleicher said, we need to create "a knowledge-rich profession in which schools and teachers have the capacity to act, the knowledge to do so wisely, and access to effective support systems." Watch for further information from Schleicher's presentation to be posted soon on the IRA website.

The responsibility for leading the International Reading Association passed from former President Richard Allington to incoming President Timothy Shanahan Thursday morning at the 4th General Session of IRA's 51st Annual Convention.

Allington said he had the "bittersweet duty" to say goodbye to outgoing Board members Charline Barnes, Carrice Cummins, and Rita Bean. "We're more than colleagues," he said, "I think we've become lifelong friends." Then, taking the gavel, Shanahan said that globalization and technology are driving a revolution in literacy as dramatic as the changes seen centuries ago with the Reformation and the advent of the printing press. Educators are being asked to help students attain unprecedented levels of literacy skills. IRA would faithfully work to help people gain those skills and make the most of their opportunities, Shanahan said, but he added that literacy skills have always been used not just to contribute to society, but to enrich the lives of individuals. He urged educators who disagree on the ways and means to those ends to debate those questions with mutual respect, and called on teachers everywhere to work together for the betterment of children's lives.

Then keynote speaker Rosemary Wells, the author of 126 children's books, described a new book intended more for adults—My Shining Star: Raising a Child Who Is Ready to Learn. To write it, she talked to a wide variety of teachers to see what parents can do to help their children succeed in the classroom and in life. She said the dislocation of the basic family unit by divorce and poverty contributes to a lack of school preparedness, but so does too much time spent at the country club and shopping mall. Time spent with electronic media, especially at very young ages, was another concern Wells raised, and she recommended that children not be exposed to these media until age 10, when their brains are more developed, until we learn more about the potential dangers to their development.

Finally Wells lauded the assembled conferees and their colleagues in the field. "Each one of you is a miracle worker in your classroom and community," she said.

Many of the presenters at the Professors of Reading Teacher Educators Special Interest Group meeting on Wednesday, May 3, at IRA's 51st Annual Convention were inadvertently left off the final program. IRA regrets the error. Please follow the link below for the names of those presenters.

Well-known actor John Lithgow's presentation on Wednesday afternoon at IRA's 51st Annual Convention offered the entertainer and children's book author a forum to make a passionate case for weaving arts education into the rest of the curriculum.

Lithgow, a Harvard graduate and Fulbright scholar, has followed his screen, stage, and television work with a second career as the author of six children's books and the producer of a wide variety of materials meant to entertain young people while introducing them to the arts.

Recently, Lithgow said, he did research on the way the emphasis on test scores has "swept away" many subject areas, including the arts, in many schools. He denounced this trend, saying it was taking the creativity and fun out of schooling, and creating a "stultifying atmosphere of fear" in the classroom. This brings about "a distaste, rather than an appetite, for learning," he said. "Is this really what they want?"

Then Lithgow offered an alternative—an approach called "arts integration," which he called a "hard-headed, result-oriented, pedagogical tool" to have education about the arts work in synergy with the rest of the curriculum.

"Cutting the arts out of a school's curriculum is cutting out its heart," Lithgow said. "When it comes to educating young children, the arts are not a luxury—they are a necessity."

Finally, Lithgow amused the audience by reciting the text of one of his newest books, Mahalia Mouse Goes to College, to be released in 2007, about a mouse who overcomes her own trepidation and the a certain anti-mouse prejudice to succeed in her college career.

Marian Wright Edelman, keynote speaker for the Wednesday morning 3rd General Session at IRA's 51st Annual Convention, said that according to the German theologian Dietrich Bonhoeffer, the test of the morality of a society is what it does for its children. In the United States, Edelman said, "we flunk that test every day."

Edelman, founder and president of the Children's Defense Fund, which advocates policies that help disadvantaged children, criticized the imbalance of wealth in the United States and the world, with a small minority holding vast riches and many more in extreme poverty. She called for a new measure of social success, one based on the concept of "enough for all," so that the United States' founding principle that all are created equal would "become deed, and not just creed."

The conferees gave Edelman an especially loud round of applause when she said that teachers are the most important people in children's lives outside of their parents. She called on them to remember that fact when they were discouraged, and to keep in mind that any of the children in their classrooms might grow up to make globally significant accomplishments. She also said stories could inspire children to flourish, and that in her book, "I Can Make a Difference" (Amistad, 2005), she had collected a treasury of multicultural stories intended to inspire children to make a difference in the world.

Edelman ended her talk with an anecdote about Sojourner Truth, the antislavery and women's rights advocate whom Edelman called her role model. One white man heckled her once, saying her efforts meant no more to him than a flea bite. "The Lord willing," she replied, "I'll keep you scratching." Edelman told the conferees to be just as persistent—"I hope that you will commit to being a flea," she said, "for justice for children."

Jeanette Ingold and Bruce Coville, the speakers at the Young Adult Literature Luncheon held Tuesday at IRA's 51st Annual Convention, told the assembled conferees about how they became writers, and in the process offered insights into the ways literature engages readers' emotions.

Ingold, who discovered her love of writing while working as a newspaper reporter, has written nonfiction books that she says help young people understand that life is sometimes difficult, but other young people have reacted to challenges with bravery and dignity.

Coville described his reaction to the first time his father read to him. The book he read, a Tom Swift novel, was not great literature, but Coville said he "was caught and held by that story. It swept me away to another world."

Reading is often promoted for its practical usefulness in career success, and its pleasures are given less emphasis, Coville said. But he pointed out that no 8-year-olds care what college they will go to. The pleasure they take in reading is what spurs their efforts to read better. "Story is the key," he said. "It's how we engage kids." He added that children enjoy fun books more than the uplifting ones they are often given, but those same fun books should have enough depth to extend their understanding.

At the Tuesday morning 2nd General Session of IRA's 51st Annual Convention, Rueben Martinez treated the conferees to a demonstration of his passionate commitment to promoting reading. He also treated them to a demonstration of his first career, barbering, tending to IRA President Richard Allington's hair as they discussed ways to promote reading among people in general and Latinos in particular.

Martinez, who won a prestigious MacArthur fellowship for his reading advocacy efforts, was originally a barber. He always kept books in his shop for patrons to read. Eventually he started selling books, and today is one of the largest dealers of Spanish-language books in the United States.

Book festivals and advocacy with policymakers are among the means Martinez uses to promote reading, and he is always striving to put books in young people’s hands. Martinez said sometimes he gives books away to young kids whose families can't afford all the books they'd like to have. "Any time I have the opportunity to give a book away, I will," Martinez said. "I'm getting richer here, in the heart, where it counts."

"We only go through this life once," Martinez said. "So why not make a difference?"

How much of David Shannon's distinctively imaginative work as an author and illustrator is based in real life? Actually quite a bit, as Shannon showed the conferees who attended the Primary Literature Luncheon on Monday at IRA's 51st Annual Convention. One of his best-known works, the Caldecott Honor Book No, David!, is actually based on drawings he did when he was 5, showing himself doing things he shouldn't have. (The teeth are pointy because that's how the original had them.) His work became more sophisticated as he got older, garnering him recognition for editorial cartoons and for book illustrations that merge whimsy and menace, tension and tenderness. Good Boy, Fergus! is about his real-life dog, and Alice the Fairy is based on his real-life daughter. "Some of this I made up," he said about Alice the Fairy, "but a lot of it is direct quotes."

On Monday, the first official day of IRA's 51st Annual Convention, registration was more than 20,000.

Two days of preconvention activities have set the stage for the official opening on Monday of IRA's 51st Annual Convention, with large numbers of conferees attending the Reading Research 2006 conference on Saturday and the Institutes on Sunday.

Michael Pressley delivered his keynote speech for the research conference via videotape because he is seriously ill, and it was received by the assembled researchers as a poignant professional farewell from a respected colleague. But his talk focused on the future of the reading field. He reviewed his own research on the characteristics of schools that teach reading effectively, and repeatedly stressed the need for more such work and the importance of professional development. "Good teachers," he said, "believe they have to continue to learn."

Some 700 conferees attended the research conference. Many more arrived on Sunday for the Institutes, in which day-long sessions focus on a variety of particular subjects. Another popular convention feature that opened on Sunday was the IRA Marketplace.

 Editors Judith P. Mitchell and D. Ray Reutzel are again offering a session for potential RT authors entitled "A Writers' Peer Conference" at the 2006 IRA Annual Convention. Now in its fourth year, this session is a valuable professional development opportunity ideal for graduate and post-graduate students who may be looking for assistance in publishing in RT. Each manuscript submitted for this session will be reviewed by a member of the RT Editorial Review Board prior to the national conference, held April 30- May 4 in Chicago, Illinois, USA. Authors will be paired with the member of the RT Editorial Review Board who reviewed their submission for a personal peer conference during the session at the convention. Please note that participation in this session does not supersede the normal review process. The editors are soliciting a maximum of 25 manuscripts on a first-come, first-served basis for this personal peer review session. Manuscripts are to be submitted via e-mail to Christina Lambert at clambert@reading.org by March 15, 2006, and should follow published online guidelines for RT submissions (see www.reading.org/publications/for_authors/rt_jaal.html for details). Please use the subject line "RT Writers' Peer Conference."

 Envigorating the book-publishing industry, encouraging the book-reading habit, and improving reading instruction in the Arabic-speaking world were among the topics discussed this week at the 11th annual conference of the Arabian Reading Association (TARA) in Bahrain. A report appears in the Bahrain Tribune.

 The International Reading Association will host the Third Annual Global Perspectives on Literacy forum on February 22, 2006, in Washington, DC. The theme of this year’s forum is “Quality Indicators for Effective Literacy Programs: Lessons From the Field.” See announcement for details.

 I Can Make A Difference, cowritten by Marian Wright Edelman and Barry Moser, has been nominated for an NAACP Image Award for Outstanding Literary Work — Children’s Book. Edelman will deliver the keynote address at the Third General Session of IRA’s 51st Annual Convention, on Wednesday, May 3, 2006, in Chicago, Illinois, USA.

The 37th Annual NAACP Image Awards ceremony will tape February 25, 2006, and air March 3, 2006, on Fox at 8:00 p.m. For a complete list of nominees in all categories, go to the NAACP Image Award website.

 One of the world's bestselling authors of crime fiction, James Patterson will introduce Maximum Ride, his first novel for young adults, on Monday, May 1, 2006, in the general session room at Lakeside Center, in Chicago. Mr. Patterson appears courtesy of his publisher, TimeWarner, and will autograph copies of his newest book (scheduled for release May 1!) at the TimeWarner exhibit booth. Get more information on keynote and featured speakers in the convention pages of the IRA website.

On September 8, International Literacy Day, celebrated this year for the 40th time, UNESCO Director-General Koïchiro Matsuura will launch a “call upon governments, international organizations, civil society and the private sector to give renewed attention and support to literacy as a vital instrument for achieving sustainable development.” Learn about UNESCO-sponsored observances around the world at the UNESCO Media Services website.

 Information about IRA’s International Literacy Day celebration in Washington, DC, is available on this website.

The popular humorist Dave Barry had thousands of conferees at Thursday’s Fourth General Session of IRA’s 50th Annual Convention roaring with laughter at his take on going to school in the years of atom bomb drills.

In his hometown of Armonk, New York, Barry said, “they talked about actually erecting a giant desk over the whole town, so we wouldn’t have to crouch under it.”

He also said he had strong views on the testing issue. If students in the United States can’t raise their test scores compared to their peers in other countries, he said, “let’s get rid of our kids and bring in some foreign kids who can get the job done!”

Then he and his co-presenter, mystery author Ridley Pearson, donned pirate hats to read from their new book Peter and the Starcatchers, a prequel to the Peter Pan story. They ended on a note of gratitude to the assembled educators. “As parents of kids in public schools,” Barry said, “we know it’s hard and we appreciate it. Thank you.”

Before their presentation, new IRA President Richard Allington described his hopes for the coming year. Allington said there is wide agreement on goals: a broader, richer literacy for all, narrowing the achievement gap worldwide, and civil professional discourse.

But Allington said some disagreements continue to roil the field and educators must come to terms with them. He decried the simplistic belief that packaged programs will answer our problems. “I’m worried we’re dumbing down our vision of the teaching profession,” he said, and added that teachers can know and address the needs of children in their classrooms in ways no package ever will.

He began and ended his address with wry observations on life, learning, and people’s attitudes toward his home state, but at one point in the middle James E. Graves, Jr. dropped his voice and spoke grimly about one defendant he remembers from his days as a trial judge.

The defendant was brought in, and Graves couldn’t see him over the bench. He rose up, and found himself looking at the face of a little boy, 12 years old, on trial for his life. The father and mother weren’t with him, and never came to the trial. The youngster had been out with three other older kids, robbing people, and they had killed a man. “None of them were going to school,” Graves said. “And nobody knew.”

Today Graves is a Mississippi State Supreme Court justice and an education advocate who is driven by his experiences with the justice system. He told the assembled conferees at the Third General Session of IRA’s 50th Annual Convention that as a trial judge, there were mornings when he would sentence 20 or 30 people to jail. And he saw that the characteristic most common to them was having dropped out of school.

Graves believes that keeping students in school is vital—“There’s just nothing more important than that,” he said—but he spoke more extensively about the importance of paying to support education. He derided politicians who say “children are our future” but aren’t willing to give teachers the pay they deserve. But he assured the conferees of his own strong belief in “the profound difference that just the opportunity to read and learn can make in the lives of individuals."

She was confronted with 150 teenagers trapped in a world of poverty and violence. Her job was to get them interested in books and reading for the first time in their lives. And nobody at her school thought it was possible.

But Erin Gruwell told the conferees at the Second General Session of IRA’s 50th Annual Convention held Tuesday morning that in the face of this general hopelessness she decided to activate her students’ prior knowledge. She took books such as The Diary of Anne Frank and Zlata’s Diary: A Child’s Life in Sarajevo and tried to see if her students could make a connection with other young people in desperate circumstances.

It worked. Her students began reading avidly, then keeping their own diaries, and they began believing in themselves and each other. Formerly guarded and suspicious, they bonded with each other through literacy, dubbing themselves the Freedom Writers.

Today Gruwell and her students are famous, the subjects of an upcoming motion picture and many other media tributes, and Gruwell has told her story to many audiences. She compared the inspiration she had received from her own teachers—IRA President MaryEllen Vogt among them—to the passing of a baton. “I hope each and every one of you go back in your classroom and hand them that baton to make a change,” she told the conferees, who responded with a standing ovation and eagerly lined up to have Gruwell sign their copies of the book she wrote about her experiences, The Freedom Writers Diary.

The crowd of thousands came to their feet and cheered on Monday morning as Julie Andrews, one of the most famous and admired entertainers in the world, spoke to the educators assembled at the First General Session of IRA’s 50th Annual Convention. But it was as a best-selling author and reading advocate in her own right that Andrews spoke to the thousands of conferees.
Her father was a teacher, she said, and an enthusiastic naturalist who taught her to see the wonder in the world around her.
A second career opened for her when, after a challenge from her children, she wrote a story that was published in 1971 as Mandy. Since then she has written numerous popular books and has been a passionate advocate for books and reading. Andrews told the conferees she was glad her fame had aided her advocacy, but said those efforts can only work “when people like you use your power of advocacy to make a difference too.”

Conferees have filled San Antonio’s hotels and begun thronging its downtown area, and the preconvention activities on Saturday and Sunday have built the momentum toward the official opening on Monday of the 50th Annual Convention of the International Reading Association.

On Saturday, the Research Conference drew some 700 conferees who were especially interested in discussing the latest research in key areas of literacy instruction. In addition to the formal presentations, there were informal discussions and ad-hoc peer networks formed in lobby areas and over dinner as educators from around the world swapped information and stories.
More people arrived to register on Sunday, and almost two dozen Institutes featured day-long examinations of a particular topic. Most Institutes included keynote presentations, panel discussions, and breakout sections and workshops. Institute 4, Celebrating Leadership: Reading Specialist/Literacy Coaches and Administrators, had some 20 presentations by a variety of leading educators. In one, Diana J. Quatroche of Indiana State University discussed how to prepare specialists and coaches to work collaboratively and led a lively discussion among the conferees there. In a later session, IRA’s President-Elect Richard Allington discussed what he has identified as misinterpretations and misrepresentations of the U.S. National Reading Panel report and offered what he calls the “five missing pillars” of reading education: access to interesting texts, matching students with appropriate texts, the recognition that writing and reading have reciprocal positive effects, limiting whole class teaching, and making expert tutoring available.

Keep checking Reading Today Daily for daily updates on convention activities.