august 2011 irc communicator

IRC PresidentCindy Wilson

ommunicatorCVolume 35, Number 1 August 2011

In This Issue:

BOARD BRIEFSPresident’s Column . . . . . . . . 1, 3IRA State Coordinator . . . . . . 2-3

IRC ACTIVITIESIRC Legislative Committee . . . 4RtI/Common Core Committee . . 4Awards at IRA Convention . . . . 42011-12 Grant Recipients . . . . . 92012 IRC Conference . . . . . . . 13Newspaper in Education . . . . . 15IRC Awards and Grants . . . . . 20

FORMSStatic Stick Decal Contest . . . 5-62012 Program Proposal for IRC Conference . . 10-12

FEATURESISLMA Awards Books . . . . . . . . 4 Meet an IRC Researcher . . . . . . 7Seymour Science . . . . . . . . . . . . 7Igniting Boys’ Love for Life . . . 8Read and Conquer . . . . . . . . . . . 8How to Create an Amazing Classroom Library . . . . . . 14-15Examining Education . . . . . . . 15 Reviving the Love of Reading . . 16Students Reading Magazines . . 16Exemplary Reading Program . . 16Illinois Authors’ Corner . . . . . 17Cool Studies . . . . . . . . . . . 18-19 35th Day of Reading . . . . . . . . . 19

Continued on page 3

Plan now to attend the 2012 IRC Conference

March 15-17, 2012

In the last newsletter, I thanked everyone for their participation in making the 2011 IRC Conference the wonderful success that it was, and I have to reiterate that gratitude. The success of each and every one of our conferences speaks clearly to the widespread dedication that characterizes everyone involved with the organization. The continuation of that dedication is why we can have such a successful conference year after year; word gets around, and great conferences beget great conferences.

Many of you are aware that I set a goal for myself of reading all of the books by all of the authors who were invited to the 2011 conference, and that I kept (and continue to keep) a blog about my reading (literacyoutsidethebox.blogspot.com). One effect of reading these authors’ work and writing about it is that I have come to respect and admire those authors even more than I did when I selected them as speakers. After getting to meet them and spend time with them at the conference, I actually miss having conversations with them. A second effect is that I have come to appreciate reading and writing even more. Reading has always, always been a huge part of my life. I started reading at an early age and looked forward to our weekly family visits to the library with quiet gusto. Books have been my friends when I felt friendless; they inspired me; they took me to Girl Scout Camp with Sal Fisher when my farming parents could not afford to send me; they gave me an arena to quietly excel when I felt I could not measure up to the cute girls or athletic boys; they opened my eyes to historical events that are glossed over or not mentioned at all in history texts or classes; and they have made me cry, laugh, and cringe with fear. What else can do all of that and more? I have a huge respect for the ability to read and write. But after reading the books I’ve read this past year and bearing the delightful burden of knowing that I would need to write something about them on the blog, I have even more respect for books and the people who write them and consider myself one of the luckiest people on the face of the earth, just to have the ability to read. That ability is essential to how I live and enjoy my life.

Not everyone is this lucky. In June I spent a week in Gambia, Africa, where the literacy rate for adults is 43%. Last year I met a young man in his twenties working for a beach chair rental company in Hawaii who said he had never read a book. How much are these people missing, whether that has to do with skills that could

IRA State Coordinator

Roberta Sejnost

2 August 2011

The Illinois Reading Council Communicator

“...the many ways that both IRC and IRA recognize the

great things the local councils of Illinois do

for literacy. ”

A leader has the vision and conviction t h a t a d r e a m can be achieved. H e i n s p i r e s t h e power and energy to get it done. — R a l p h L a u r e n

With the Leadership Retreat behind us and

the school year ahead of us, my thoughts turn to ways we can continue the energy, passion, dedication and fire I saw ignited during our days at Grand Bear. During the Retreat, councils dreamed, worked and planned for what the new council year could and would bring. As I interacted with councils, the message embodied in words of Ralph Lauren echoed loud and strong: as leaders we have vision; we dream; we inspire, and it gets done. Given those thoughts, I wanted to shape this column around the many ways your councils can be rewarded and awarded for your willingness to dream, work, and plan. So, join me in a quick tour of the many ways both IRC and IRA recognize the great things the local councils of Illinois do for literacy. While I know we featured many of these awards at Leadership, sometimes information overload strikes and we forget or the Leadership binder gets buried under paper to be graded so save this column, post it somewhere visible, look at it and dream, plan, and work; I challenge you to do it!

IRA AWARDSApplication forms available at:

http://www.reading.org/AccessFor/CouncilLeaders/CouncilLeaderAwards.aspx

Honor Council ProgramApplication deadline: Postmarked by March 1

The Honor Council Program recognizes local and special interest councils that organize and conduct well-rounded programs serving the council members, the community, the state association, and the International Reading Association.

Celebrate LiteracyNo date requirements

The Celebrate Literacy Award recognizes organizations, institutions, and individuals that have made significant literacy contributions at the local, state, or provincial level. The hope is that the celebration will familiarize the public with literacy activities in the community and call attention to the work that is being done by the schools and the International Reading Association to promote literacy worldwide.

Local Council Community Service AwardApplication deadline: October 31

The Local Council Community Service Award honors a local council for outstanding service to its community and literacy. Many unique ideas have been realized through such community projects as information

packets for parents of newborns, programs/materials for children and adults living in shelters, and reading promotion activities for the local library. These projects reach beyond their immediate community and become models others can adapt to meet literacy needs outside the classroom.

IRC AWARDSApplication forms are in the

Leadership Binder and on the IRC website

While there are many IRC awards and grants available to individuals, this column will focus on those awarded to councils. Please see the IRC website and the Leadership binder for information and applications forms for the many awards and grants given to individuals.

Council of Excellence AwardApplication deadline: Postmarked by March 1

The Award of Excellence recognizes local and special interest councils that organize and conduct well-rounded programs serving the council members, the community, and the state association. Council winners receive $100.

Hall of Councils: Date: Annual Conference in March

The Hall of Councils Display allows councils the opportunity to advertise activities and accomplishments and to promote membership with a display. Council winners receive $100.


August 2011 3

Adult & Family Literacy GrantApplication deadline: Postmarked by November 1

The Illinois Reading Council Adult and Family Literacy Committee will award up to $750 to local councils to develop and implement projects to help address adult literacy issues. Literacy projects that involve adults or adults with their children will be considered for funding.

International GrantApplication deadline May 1

The International Committee of the Illinois Reading Council has created a grant to promote literacy projects internationally. Studies indicate that poverty levels and literacy rates are inversely proportional. By supporting our international community in the areas of literacy, it in turn improves our universal society. The IRC wants to support these efforts.

Literacy Support GrantApplication deadline May 1

The Illinois Reading Council will award financial grants to local and special interest councils and individual council members for the purpose of promoting literacy development in the school and community, and/or providing professional development opportunities related to the improvement of reading and writing instruction. If fulfilling one of the above stated purposes requires a joint effort with another school, district, or other agency, letters stating their intended involvement are required from these agencies. There is no specific amount per grant.

Now you have a quick shopping list of wonderful opportunities for your council to show what miraculous things you are doing for literacy in your schools, libraries, communities and homes. In closing, good luck as you begin this new school year. And, as you move through it month by month, take the time to enjoy the many opportunities provided by your local reading councils, IRC and IRA. Take time to read your council’s newsletter, attend your council’s meetings, programs and functions, and join us all in March for Literacy in the Land of Lincoln.

Yours in literacy,

Bobbie Sejnost

President’s Message continued from page 1advance their well being in life or whether it concerns the more recreational benefits of reading? I keep thinking about what they are missing in their lives that reading could ease or enhance.

The point is that we, as readers, belong to an especially fortunate group of people. We know how to learn, communicate, empathize, picture the worlds about which we read and engage all of our senses in the broadest range of experiences possible, all through the wonder and magic of the printed word. Please keep that in mind as you go about your daily business, whether that is the everyday instruction of young minds, the management of resources and materials, spending time with your grandchildren, or any other interaction. We need to be ever aware of the awesome responsibility we have of sharing that passion, that joy, that skill and wonder.

There’s a wonderful Thomas Carlyle quote of thanks that hangs in my library on a brass plaque: “May blessings be upon the head of Cadmus, the Phoenicians, or whoever it was that invented books.” Yes, thank you to whoever invented books and gave us that related wonderful gift, that of the ability to read and to love the act of reading!

It’s August, and school will be starting for many of you. Have a wonderful opening to the year, and don’t forget that October is National Book month. How will you celebrate? How will you help your students celebrate? It’s also National Cookie Month – think I’ll celebrate by combining the two!

MissionThe mission of the Illinois Reading Council

is to provide support and leadership to educators as they promote and teach lifelong literacy.

Illinois Reading Council1210 Fort Jesse Road, Suite B2

Normal, IL 61761Phone: 888-454-1341

Fax: 309-454-3512E-Mail: [email protected]

Website: www.illinoisreadingcouncil.orgNing: illinoisreadingcouncil.ning.com

and join us on Facebook!

4 August 2011


ISLMA Awards BooksBy Leslie Forsman

The Illinois School Library Media Association-Library Book Selection Service Endowment Fund has selected over 200 libraries statewide to receive a set of 2012 Illinois Readers’ Choice Book Award nominees.

Fifty (50) sets each of Abraham Lincoln and Rebecca Caudill nominees, and 55 sets of Monarch and Bluestem nominees will be given to libraries this year. Additionally, one special set of books is being donated to Washington Elementary School in Bloomington in memory of Larry Efaw, long time Director of the LBSS Company, who passed away in 2010.

All books should arrive at the libraries by August 17, 2011 and will be shipped by Ingram Library Services. There are a couple of titles that will arrive separately because they were out of publisher stock when the titles were ordered. These titles will be shipped as soon as possible. In July, a letter was mailed to each library that applied for a set of books stating whether they will receive the books or not. A complete list of libraries receiving book sets can be found at www.lbssfund.org.

RtI/Common Core CommitteeBy Deb Hays and Gail Huizinga

IRC Legislative Committee on Capitol Hill

By Kathy Merz

The International Reading Association sponsored a Legislative Workshop on June 27-28 in Washington D.C. Mike Ellerman, Helen Bryant, and Kathy Merz are the IRC Legislative committee members who attended the workshop. Richard Long, Director of Government Relations for IRA, led the workshop. He informed us of many issues that are being discussed and the impact that the budget cuts could have on these programs.

After several hours of meetings, we went to Capitol Hill and met with five of our Legislative Aides. We went to Jesse Jackson, Dick Durbin, Jerry Costello, Bobby Schilling and Mark Kirk’s offices. We discussed with them that we need funding support for the Striving Readers Comprehensive Literacy Program, support for the inclusion of the LEARN Act and also support for the assessments that inform instruction in the rewriting of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA). Each of the aides assured us that the Legislator supported Education, but they also reminded us that the budget situation is not very good and that it may take a few years to recover from this problem. We felt very successful in our meetings with these people and enjoyed our discussions with them.

IRC has formed an Ad Hoc committee to support the implementation of Response to Intervention (RtI) and the New Illinois Learning Standards Incorporating the Common Core. The RtI/Common Core Committee will be co-chaired by Deb Hays and Gail Huizinga.

The committee’s focus will be providing resources for strong implementation of the common core standards which will assure highest quality Tier 1 instruction. One of the committee’s goals is to utilize IRC’s website to feature research-based strategies and resources throughout the course of the year.

If you would like to know more about the committee or have suggestions for how the committee can support work in the areas of RtI and the common core state standards, please contact the committee at [email protected].

Awards at the IRA ConventionIRC received the following awards at the 56th annual IRA Convention on May 8th in Orlando, Florida:

Advocacy Award Presented to the Illinois Reading Council for taking an active role in educational policy and legislation.

Award of Excellence Presented to the Illinois Reading Council for providing programs and activities that contribute to education and support councils, members, and IRA.

Honor CouncilChicago Area Reading AssociationIllinois Title I Association (ITA)Lewis and Clark Reading CouncilPrairie Area Reading Council

Exemplary Reading Program Award Woodland Elementary East School, Gages Lake, Illinois

The Illinois Council for Affective Reading Educationand

The Illinois Reading Council

The Illinois Council for Affective Reading Education (ICARE) and the Illinois Reading Council (IRC) invite YOU to design a STATIC STICK DECAL that encourages children to read.

QUALIFICATIONS You must be a student in grade 4, 5 or 6 in a school in the state of Illinois.

GUIDELINES Make your original design in the 4 inch square on the back of this sheet. (Teachers may copy the application form as many times as needed.) Invent an original character(s) to include in your design. You may NOT use any published cartoon or comic characters (including characters such as Snoopy, Bart Simpson, Power Rangers, Garfield, Barney, etc.) nor any computer-generated art. Develop an original saying or slogan. You are limited to three colors plus black and white. The label with Illinois Reading Council and Illinois Council for Affective Reading Education must be on the STATIC STICK DECAL design but it may be moved from the location on the application form. Complete the application form on the back of this sheet. Mail it with your design to: Kathleen Sweeney c/o Illinois Reading Council 1210 Fort Jesse Road, Suite B2 Normal, IL 61761

ENTRIES MUST BE POSTMARKED NO LATER THAN JANUARY 15, 2012!

THE STATIC STICK DECAL CONTEST WINNER WILL RECEIVE: An autographed book by a well-known children’s author. An invitation for the winner and his/her parents to be our guests at the Illinois Reading Council Conference Author Luncheon on Saturday, March 17, 2012 in Springfield, Illinois. The winner will sit in a place of honor and be introduced during the luncheon. 30 STATIC STICK DECALS with the winning design to distribute to classmates.

TIPS Don’t forget – The work MUST BE ORIGINAL. You may not use any published trademark, cartoon, comic characters or computer-generated art. Keep the art work simple. Too much detail within the space provided may result in a smeared look when it is reproduced on the STATIC STICK DECAL. Fine line markers, pens and pencils work the best. Crayon is usually difficult to read. Spelling must be standard and correct.

STATIC STICK DECAL CONTEST

The Illinois Council for Affective Reading Education and The Illinois Reading Council

Illinois Reading CouncilIllinois Council for Affective Reading Education

Name ______________________________________________________________________________

Grade _________________________________ Age __________________________

Teacher’s Name ______________________________________________________________________

School _____________________________________________________________________________

School Address _______________________________________________________________________

City ______________________________ Zip __________________________

School Phone Number (with area code) ___________________________________________________

Parent/Guardian’s Name _______________________________________________________________

Home Address _______________________________________________________________________

City _____________________________ Zip __________________________

Home Phone Number (with area code) ____________________________________________________

Mail entries no later than January 15, 2012 to: Kathleen Sweeney c/o Illinois Reading Council 1210 Fort Jesse Road, Suite B2 Normal, IL 61761

APPLICATIONSTATIC STICK DECAL CONTEST


August 2011 7

Award-winning children’s science author Seymour S i m o n i s c o m i n g t o Springfield to speak at the Illinois Reading Council Conference on March 16 & 17, 2012. He is interested in speaking at local elementary and/or middle schools earlier in the week (Monday

through Thursday, March 12-15). Mr. Simon suggests that you look at his website (www.seymoursimon.com) to see the multitude of resources there for both students and educators. While you are on his website, click on the BLOG header to read frequent postings about previous school visits. He is an in-demand speaker, and you will see why when you see all the student reaction (and interaction) on his website!

Seymour Simon charges $3000/day which includes airfare and most travel expenses, and does three large group speeches spread out through the morning and afternoon of a single day in one school, plus signing books as desired. Many districts decide to split the day and share the fee (half day at two different schools, one large group assembly at each), and he is open to this arrangement. Please contact him at [email protected] if you are interested in a visit to your school.

There are those who do their jobs, do them well and then relax and let the machinery of the world go by. But every once in a while one is fortunate to meet and speak with an affective educator who takes a step beyond and reaches the children at their level of need and helps them on their way to attaining their potential.

The IRC is fortunate to have a plethora of the latter. These are the individuals who change the world for the better, one mind at a time. Laura Beltchenko, former Co-President of Suburban Council of IRA is one of this group, and in her second year of research on the Effects of Children’s Literature on the Social

and Emotional Well-Being of Students Kindergarten through Fifth Grade. As a 2005 honoree of National Association of Gifted Children, Laura is no stranger to the research and development of programs tying literature to learning in the different modalities. At the start of this year she presented at the Indiana Gifted Conference. As a result, two Indiana School Districts, Shelbyville and Plainfield, invited her to present in their respective areas and a flame was lit for their teachers. Laura so moved these educators by her presentation and reading of Demi’s The Empty Pot that they asked her to present in front of the entire student body while they acted out the book. They experienced first hand how one can reach the unreachable child through literature.

Currently Laura and her team are in their second year of research at National Louis University, Skokie, Illinois. Using the local library a web site has been established-Teaching Theory and Children’s Literature. Roughly three hundred students K-5 make up the population of the study. However, it is felt that the same type of program could have positive effects on older children and young adults. Self-limitation is not merely a hindrance to learning at the lowest levels. Once a learner comes to the realization he or she is capable of

greater achievement a door is opened for them to reach the higher areas of their potential.

Specific works of Children’s Literature aimed at awakening the social and emotional well-being help the Learner to gain confidence, build self image, and instill self worth. Whether one is working in common core, RtI, Character Education, Enhancement studies or Gifted Programs, Children’s Literature is a powerful tool that will bring about immediate results. The old adage is true, “A mind once stretched will never return to its former size.” Thank You, Laura, for the inroads you are making with your research.

Meet an IRC ResearcherBy Boomer Crotty,

IRC Research and Studies Committee Member

8 August 2011


Igniting Boys’ Love for LiteracyBy Andrea Schaal

The Fox Valley Reading Council embarked upon uncharted waters on February 26, 2011. With the Wheaton Public Library as our partners, we planned a Guys Read event for boys in grades four through six featuring local illustrator, David Opie. As a council, we wanted to go beyond reaching fellow educators.

Tapping into what boys love, we agreed upon a graphic novel theme with a hands-on approach. In search of an engaging male author/illustrator, I contacted the Center for Teaching Through Children’s Books (CTCB) at National-Louis University. While attending a CTCB Illinois Authors’ and Illustrators’ event, we got suggestions on authors/illustrators for our Guys Read event, and this is how I stumbled upon David Opie.

Comic art is the oldest form of the graphic novel and is a fan favorite of boys. Opie mesmerized a fabulous turnout of nearly fifty eager boys with his comic drawing and storytelling skills. The boys gazed in delight as he created a three-panel comic based on story element suggestions from the participants. After Opie’s demonstration, the room turned into a comic-making workshop, where the boys created their own three-panel comic.

As a classroom teacher, I understand how vulnerable our boys are to becoming disengaged literacy learners, which in turn may impact their achievement. Our venture into uncharted waters surpassed our expectations. We succeeded in our mission to ignite a passion for literacy for each boy in attendance. I think boys are engaged literacy learners. It is our challenge and duty to find what ignites them.

Read and ConquerBy Amy Ligmanowski

Let the battle begin!! The first ever 2010-2011 Battle of the Books was a huge success. Based around the television show, The Amazing Race, the student participants were instructed to read eight of the 12 selected books during the school year. After creating teams, each group raced around to the different book checkpoints where they needed to complete a challenge activity related to the particular book and answer the comprehension questions accurately. Once a team successfully

completed the checkpoint, the supervising teacher would stamp the team’s passport and they were allowed to move on to the next competition checkpoint. Teams had exactly one hour to earn all the stamps in their passport and finish the race.

Although the Read and Conquer grant revolved around the Battle

of Books Amazing Race-style challenge, it also provided our school library with over two hundred copies of the books used for the battle. The overall goal for this grant was to promote literacy throughout our sixth, seventh, and eighth grade classes. With roughly 203 new novels, the checkout numbers were astounding. Throughout the course of the 2010-2011 school year, over 2200 checkouts of those 12 novels were recorded! The most popular book, The Hunger Games, was checked out over 432 times! Although only 32 students participated in the culminating competition, the 2200 novels checked out demonstrated the success of the Battle of the Books Read and Conquer competition. The love for reading was definitely the best award and was given to our entire student population!

Applicat ions for the 2012-2013 IRC Literacy Support Gran t s a re due M a y 1 , 2 0 1 2 !

To learn about other projects funded by IRC Literacy Support Grants, visit the IRC Website!


August 2011 9

IRC Announces 2011-2012 Literacy Support Grant Recipients Region 1

Northern Illinois Faith Brautigam $1,000 StoryTubes Contest Northwestern Illinois Keta Foltz $2,000 Author & Me Starved Rock Mary Lindig $1,200 Never Give Up: A Holocaust Remembrance Unit

Starved Rock Jennifer Schuh $600 The Book Bunch: Using Book Clubs to Grow Lifelong Readers Starved Rock Jennifer Schuh $700 The Parent Project Region 2

CARA Kateri Routh $5,000 Book Groups for At-Risk Youth at Neighboring Alternative Schools

CARA Margaret Richek $700 Wash and Read: Literacy and Laundry CARA, ICARE Jessica Papp $4,000 State of Illinois Literacy Campaign CARA, SRL Nancy Pierce $500 School Book Club

Lake Area Deane Gidlund $2,000 Building Readers, One Book at a Time Lake Area Michael Moylan $500 Bringing Authors into the Classroom Through Skype Lake Area Sarah Carlson $300 Read to your Buddy

SCIRA Heather Koerber $160 Exploring the World in Second Grade! SCIRA, SRL Sara Helminski $1,000 Interdisciplinary Holocaust Literature Study Region 3

Fox Valley Nicole Senn $1,000 The Graphic Novel Library Project Fox Valley Laura Feldt $1,000 Book Talk Breakfasts to Create a Culture of Teachers as Readers of Children’s

Literature Fox Valley Laura Feldt $1,000 Boys Read Book Club

Fox Valley Sarah Wineinger $400 “We Both Read” Promoting at Home Literacy Fox Valley, West

Suburban, ILLC Theresa Rindt $1,700 Engaging Struggling Readers with Hi-Low Readability Books

West Suburban Susie Narkis $600 The Caudill Corner West Suburban, SCIRA Natalie Biancalana $1,000 Read, Write, and Pick Region 4

Black Hawk Susie Smice $2,000 Morning Coffee Club Illinois Valley Stacy Baker $400 Roaring Readers Lunch Bunch Illinois Valley Genia Workheiser $1,500 Revealing the Tricks Illinois Valley Pam Ritter $1,250 “Y Not Read?” Book Club for Adult New Readers

Mississippi Valley, Central Illinois, ILLC

Leslie Forsman $750 Recess Readers

Western Illinois Jennifer Bredemeier $600 Book Clubs for Kids

Western Illinois Jennifer Bredemeier $400 Books Can Take You Places (Family Reading Night) Western Illinois Jennifer Young $800 Come Read With Me Western Illinois Jennifer Young $900 Summer Reading Rocks

Western Illinois Jennifer Young $1,000 Putting the “Family” Back in Family Reading Night Western Illinois Anita Lovell $500 Family Reading Night: Curl Up With a Book and Read! Western Illinois Anita Lovell $1,500 Book Cafe/Chew N Chat

Western Illinois, ICARE Juanita Scott $1,500 Esme Codell Author Visit–Writing for Purpose and Fun! Western Illinois, ICARE Juanita Scott $1,300 Parent Child Book Club Region 5

South Suburban, ICARE Julie Kelly $1,000 Enriching In-School Suspension

Two Rivers Patricia Horn $2,500 Celebrate Family Literacy With Books Two Rivers Christina Basham $400 BINGO: It’s Family Reading Night Region 6

MID-State Sheila Diaz $1,954 Partners in Parenting “Read to Your Baby” Project MID-State, ICARE, CIRP Lawrence Pennie $800 Building “Unity” From Within Region 7

East Central-EIU Pamela Green $1,200 Reading Rocks Our School East Central-EIU Reading

Council Jana Nacke $1,500 Riders Ready to Read and Write with Robert Burleigh!

Illini Mabel Hayes $750 Assisted Living Book Discussion Club

Region 8

Lewis and Clark Susan Tiburzi $1,500 If You Give a Child a Book... Lewis and Clark Whitney Glidewell $1,500 What Can Be Learned

Lewis and Clark Darryn Diuguid $1,500 Promoting Family Literacy and Engagement Through Individual Book Sets at a Transitional Housing Facility

Lewis and Clark, ITA Kristin Heap $2,300 Literacy Luau

Lewis and Clark, ITA Cheryl Walker $1,500 We Are Authors! Lewis and Clark, ITA Cheryl Walker $1,000 Together We Read National Road, ITA Amy Hewing $800 Bluestem Books and Breakfast

Region 9

South Eastern Tambree Krouse $1,000 Bluestem Book Club: Encouraging Parents and Students to Read Together South Eastern, ITA Diana Woods $1,400 Reading Welcome Wagon Southern Illinois Ryan Martinez $800 Accelerated Community Reading Education, A.C.R.E.

Region 10

ICARE, CIRP Roxanne Owens $980 Visuals, Vignettes, Verses, and Vodcasts: An Integrated Reading/Writing/Arts/Technology Project

ILLC, Fox Valley Ruth Quiroa $2,000 Young Authors’ Conference 2012

Submit Program Proposals Online at www.illinoisreadingcouncil.org!

2012 PROGRAM PROPOSALIllinois Reading Council Conference

March 15-17, 2012

PROGRAM FORMATProposals may be submitted for small group sessions.• SMALL GROUP SESSIONS will be scheduled for 60 minutes. Presenters desiring more time may request a double session.

CRITERIA FOR SELECTION• Proposals that emphasize interaction across disciplines, interaction

across roles, new issues or topics, innovative or novel ways of viewing traditional issues, topics, materials or methods and evidence of familiarity with current practice and/or research will be given priority.

• Proposals that promote commercial materials or programs will not be accepted.• Proposals that contribute to the achievement of an overall program balance in the range of topics, the grade

levels covered, and the professional and geographic distribution of the participants will be given priority.• Proposals must be typed or printed, legible, and complete. The Program Committee reserves the right to

disqualify incomplete or late proposals.

GENERAL INFORMATION• Teachers, researchers, librarians, administrators, and others interested in promoting reading and related

literacy areas are encouraged to submit program proposals.• As a professional, nonprofit organization, the Illinois Reading Council is unable to provide honoraria to

program participants nor to reimburse for materials, travel, meals or hotel expenses.• All presenters whose program proposals have been approved must pre-register and pay conference fees

no later than the last day designated for pre-registration (February 1, 2012). If not, name and presentation may be removed from the final 2012 Conference program due to printing deadlines.

• The person submitting the proposal must receive advance consent from each listed presentation associate. • Only an overhead projector and screen will be provided. All other audio-visual equipment is the

responsibility of the presenter(s). LCD Projectors are not provided. • Proposals must be submitted online at www.illinoisreadingcouncil.org or postmarked no later than

September 1, 2011. Each person submitting a proposal will be sent an acknowledgment by email when the proposal is received. Future correspondence will also be sent by email.

• All applicants will be notified of the Program Committee’s decisions by December 1, 2011. It is the responsibility of the person submitting the proposal to relay the committee’s decision to each presentation associate listed on the program.

Individuals seeking conference information should contact:Illinois Reading Council

1210 Fort Jesse Road, Suite B2Normal, IL 61761

Phone: 309-454-1341 Email: [email protected] Toll Free: 888-454-1341 Web: www.illinoisreadingcouncil.org Fax: 309-454-3512 Ning: illinoisreadingcouncil.ning.com

2012 PROGRAM PROPOSAL Illinois Reading Council Conference March 15-17, 2012

Please type or print all information.I. PERSON SUBMITTING PROPOSAL

Name(Last)___________________________________ (First)_________________________________________

Address_____________________________________________________________________________________

City________________________________________ State______________ Zip_______________________

Telephone: Work____________________________ Home________________________________________

Position and/or Title___________________________________________________________________________

School/District/Professional Affiliation____________________________________________________________

Work Address______________________________________ City___________________ State___________

Email______________________________________________

II. PRESENTATION ASSOCIATES Please list the names, complete addresses (including zip code), telephone numbers, and institutional affiliations

and addresses of the presentation associates. Please secure advance permission from each individual. A separate sheet with this information may be attached.

Name(Last)____________________________________ (First)__________________________________________


City__________________________________________ State______________ Zip_________________________

Phone______________________________________ Email________________________________________

Name(Last)___________________________________ (First)_________________________________________


City__________________________________________ State______________ Zip_________________________

Phone______________________________________ Email________________________________________

III. STRAND NUMBER ________________________ All proposals should relate to one of the strands below:

8. Adult Literacy 9. Literacy Initiatives (inclusion, teaming, literacy coaching, RtI)10. Research-Based Practice11. Standards, Assessment, and Evaluation12. Early Childhood and Emergent Literacy13. Literacy Across the Curriculum14. Administration15. Title I16. Family Literacy17. Library Information Skills Curriculum18. Visual and Critical Literacy

1. Literacy Skills (fluency, word identification, comprehension, vocabulary) - ISBE Standard 1 2. Literature Studies - ISBE Standard 2 3. Extending Literacy through Speaking and Listening - ISBE Standard 4 4. Extending Literacy through Writing - ISBE Standards 3 and 5 5. Technology in the Classroom 6. Diversity (multicultural, multiple intelligences, gender issues, ESL, gifted, at-risk) 7. Coordinating/Administering a Reading Program

P L E A S E R E M E M B E R T H AT A L L NOTIFICATIONS WILL BE SENT BY EMAIL!

IV. SESSION LENGTH: Sessions will be 60 minutes in length. Presenters desiring more time may request a double session.

VI. SPONSORSHIP: If a conference exhibitor is sponsoring the presentation, please indicate the name of the company. Please remember that all sponsored presenter(s) must be registered through the exhibitor registration packet and that your session may not promote specific products or packaged programs.

VII. AUDIO VISUAL EQUIPMENT: Overhead projectors and screens are the only audio visual equipment available to presenters. Other equipment must be supplied by the presenter. LCD Projectors are not provided.

VIII. TITLE OF PRESENTATION (as you wish it to appear in the program book; please be succinct)

IX. ABSTRACT Describe the content of the program in 20-35 words. The abstract must be clearly stated and reflect the actual presentation.

In accordance with IRA and IRC policy, program participants will not be reimbursed for any expenses by the Illinois Reading Council. I understand that presenters must pre-register for the conference by February 1, 2012. If not, names and presentation may be removed from the final IRC conference program due to printing deadlines. I also understand that only an overhead projector and screen will be provided and that the printing of handouts is the responsibility of the presenters.

_______________________________________________ ______________________________ Signature of Person Submitting Proposal Date

Proposals may be submitted online at www.illinoisreadingcouncil.org or mail one copy of completed proposal postmarked no later than September 1, 2011 to:

Illinois Reading Council1210 Fort Jesse Road, Suite B2

Normal, IL 61761

To help prevent scheduling conflicts, please identify all presenters listed in this proposal who are also included in other proposals.

Name Person Submitting Other Proposal

____________________________ ________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________ ____________________________

V. INTENDED AUDIENCE (Check each category that applies.) _______ Educators of Pre-Schoolers (PreK-K) _______ Educators of Special Needs Students _______ Educators of Primary Students (K-3) _______ Educators of Adults _______ Educators of Intermediate Students (4-6) _______ University Professors/Adjunct Instructors _______ Educators of Middle/Junior High Students (6-9) _______ Administrators _______ Educators of High School Students (9-12) _______ Librarians _______ Educators of English Language Learners _______ All


August 2011 13

2012 IRC ConferenceLiteracy in the Land of Lincoln

By Pat Braun, Conference Chair

This millennium is experiencing many problems. If we take the time to read and reflect, we may be able to come up with some solutions. I truly believe that our work in literacy will serve to solve some of the problems of the millennium while exposing our kids to interesting and inspiring ideas.

I hereby give notice to all interested in promoting literacy in Illinois and beyond. The IRC annual conference is the place you need to be. We have a fantastic line-up of speakers including some of the finest Illinois has to offer.

You can interact with Donna Ogle, Meg Ormiston, Katie Wood Ray, Maria Nichols, Terry Thompson, Chris Tovani, William Brozo, Katie Van Sluys, Harvey Daniels, and more literacy leaders from around the states.

You can hear awesome authors like Gary Paulson, Patricia MacLachlan, Nick Bruel, Debbie Chocolate, Kristina Springer, Seymour Simon, Jack Gantos, Jacqueline Kelly, and Sally Walker.

You can have lunch and chat with Illinois authors, get a signed copy of one of their books, and maybe even talk them into coming to your school.

You can network with professors, teachers, librarians, and others actively promoting literacy during the over 300 hourly sessions.

You may even find yourself in conversation with Abraham Lincoln or Mary Todd Lincoln at the Lincoln Banquet Friday night.

And, you can try out some of that new-fangled technology which promises to bring more words to our children, even if we don’t understand it. (Some of you may remember when educators were worried about the ballpoint pen.)

$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$

We are all experiencing budget difficulties, so “Wear the old coat and buy the new book” – Austin Phelps

There are ways to trim expenses.

Stay with friends in the less-expensive motels and • take shuttles to the conference center. Save gas; take a ride on Amtrak where you can read •the books you pick up in the exhibits, play Scrabble, or plug in your laptop and work on lessons. Take on a leadership role in your local reading •council and get some of your expenses paid.

By hook or by crook, get yourself to Springfield in March. If you need a little more rationale to convince your administrators that you need to be there, send in a proposal sharing what you do to promote literacy. Be sure to include your district and principal on the handout.

Do whatever you need to do to get to the most profound and worthwhile conference in the world.

As great a man as was Lincoln, he was much like us. He was a reader, a writer, a thinker, a speaker, and a good listener.

All of the great leaders in the world are readers. Abraham Lincoln is one who serves as a model to us all.

He really did sit on that stump and pull out a book to read while resting. To him, “A capacity, and taste, for reading, gives access to whatever has already been discovered by others.

It is the key, or one of the keys, to the already solved problems. And not only so. It gives a relish, and facility, for successfully pursuing the yet unsolved ones.”

– September 30, 1859 Address before the Wisconsin State Agricultural Society

Yes, I know it is summertime, a time traditionally spent thinking about fun, relaxation, and curling up with a favorite book…but it is also a great time to create a new and exciting classroom library. The summer offers flea markets, garage sales, thrift stores and a gazillion opportunities to stock or restock your classroom library for little or no money. Regardless of the grade, pre-K through high school, or content areas you teach, every classroom deserves one. Even Physical Education classes can have a shelf stocked with sports and sport hero books both fiction and nonfiction for students to check out.

The most successful classroom libraries don’t just happen, they are carefully planned. These questions will help you create your summer shopping list so by next fall you will have an amazing classroom library that both you and your students will enjoy.

What do I want my classroom library to look like? It can be as simple as a designated shelf or an elaborate area with an old claw foot bathtub for reading, rocking chairs, cushions, rugs, and much more. Do you want just a so-so classroom library or are you ready to go for amazing? Google “classroom library photos” and look at the many varieties. Get inspired. Decide what you want and how much space you will dedicate to your library. Determine a color palate. Make it attractive and inviting. From this information, create your plan and basic wish list. This is your vision for your library.

Do you have both hard and soft items in your library? Hard items are the wood, metal, and other “crunchy” items like shelves, chairs, etc. Soft items are the pillows, beanbag chairs, rugs, stuffed animals, and other “squishy things.” Soft items absorb sound, and create a homey feeling. The younger your students the more soft items required. Consider buying a big stuffed animal to become your reading mascot, or lots of stuffed animals so that each child can have one to read to. Be creative. Think unique.

Usually you can get a stuffed animal for around a quarter.

Do you have good quality books for a really great classroom library? On sale days at thrift stores you can get great books for 10 for a $1. Garage sales will often donate books on the last day. All you have to do is ask. Be sure to tell your name, teaching grade and school when you are negotiating price. It helps lower the prices because their stuff will be used for a good purpose. Make sure the books you buy are in good shape and offer a wide range of reading pleasure. Make sure these books are

free of gender, age, racial, cultural, and other stereotypes.

Do you have the quantity of books needed for a really great classroom library? I have found about 15 books per student is a good number to begin with. So if you have 20 students (times 15) you need to have around 300 books in your library to begin with, and more is better. To keep your library inviting plan to

add new books as the year progresses and curriculum, seasons, and holidays change.

Is there balance of the nonfiction and fiction books? There are so many outstanding nonfiction books. Make sure your library is well stocked.

Do you have all the genres covered? Not every book will appeal to all readers so choose a wide range of interesting topics and genres. Wordless books, Picture books, Folktales, Fairy tales, Mysteries, Historical fiction, Science fiction, Fantasy, nonfiction, Handbooks, Biographies, How to books, Photographs, Essays, others. Having something for everyone is important and don’t forget to include student authored books.

How will you display your books? Although there are those who would insist that one way is better than another, use whatever works. In fact, I have found a combination of display styles gives students choice and choice is always great. But think about your ideal library

How to Create an Amazing Classroom LibraryBy Heather Harder, President of IRC College Instructors of Reading Professionals (CIRP)

“The most successful classroom

libraries don’t just happen, they are

carefully planned.”

Continued on page 15

14 August 2011


Examining EducationElizabeth Goldsmith-Conley is host of a new radio program airing on WILL-AM at 6 pm on Saturdays in June. Programs will focus on some big debates in education: Whose responsibility is it to provide public education? How should it be funded? Who should determine a public school curriculum? Should teachers be held accountable for student achievement? The four-part series will be replayed in August with new programs planned for October. For more information, visit www.examiningeducation.org.

and decide what works best for you and your students. You can place your books on shelves in no special order; in baskets in no order; in baskets separated by genre; in baskets leveled by readability; front display book shelves with covers showing (like a magazine rack), or a combination of display styles.

Have you covered the range of readability found in your classroom? You may be teaching one grade level but this may or may not match the range of your students’ reading level. If you are teaching fourth grade, you may still have student reading levels range from second to sixth grade. Think about how their reading level will change from the beginning of the year to the end of the year. Now add at least one or two grade levels to each extreme. So if you have students reading from second to sixth grade, you will want to have books in your library that have a readability from first to seventh grade or more.

How will your library function? Will you have set aside library time; if so, how much? Or will students have open access to the library throughout the day? Can students check out books for home use or are they strictly for classroom? If they can be checked out will you need book bags? A checkout system? Do you need a file box, basket or other container for checkout? Think about what you will need for your library.

Do you have a designated “book hospital?” This basket or box is where students can place books that need repair. Students can be great at finding the tears early. The hospital can also contain book tape and other repair materials so either a designated book doctor can repair them or students themselves can repair the damage.

As you answer these questions, be sure to take notes about what you need for an awesome library. Make copies of your wish list and share with your friends and family so they can help you find your treasures. Put a copy in your purse or wallet and enjoy the summer. As you come across one bargain after another, you will see how quickly, cheaply, and easily you can assemble the perfect library for your students for little or no money. Come fall when school starts you will be ready with an awesome classroom library! Be sure to take pictures. Have a great school year.

Classroom Library continued from page 14


August 2011 15

Newspaper in EducationBy Leslie Forsman, NIE Committee Co-Chair

Do you need a quick back to school idea? Try using the newspaper in your classroom!

Even the youngest students can look for and circle items in the paper. It’s great for developing visual discrimination skills and higher order thinking skills.

Ask your primary grades students to find and circle alphabet letters as you study them—different fonts, upper vs. lower case, placement within words, etc. As the year goes by they can search for sight words and other simple vocabulary or terms.

Middle school students can be sent to search for specific types of words: nouns (common or proper), verbs, etc. They can search for references to local area attractions; find menu words, rhyming words and other searches. High school students can search for words that indicate opinion rather than facts, grammar categories with specified numbers of letters, synonyms and antonyms, etc. There are many ways that newspapers (whether in print or online) can be used to help teach students. It is the goal of the IRC Newspapers In Education Committee to share some springboard thoughts in each Communicator issue. If you have suggestions or ideas for using the newspaper in the classroom, please share them with us so that we can share with all of our colleagues. The committee can be reached via email at [email protected].

16 August 2011


Students Reading MagazinesBy Christine Boardman Moen

Research supports the best practice that students read more when they receive instruction in classrooms that have quality classroom libraries. In other words, the ease of access to quality books encourages and supports students’ reading habits. Although research to support magazine reading in the classroom in the same way classroom libraries support student reading is sketchy at best, the grant entitled “Magazine Readers Come in All Shapes and Sizes of Attitudes Toward Reading” attempted to increase students’ access to magazines in the classroom and, therefore, increase students’ reading of magazines. Judging by the teachers’ comments and student surveys, students who had access to magazines in their classrooms took advantage of the opportunities to read magazines that interested them.

Before the grant was implemented, students were surveyed about the types of magazines they would like to read. The magazines would be available most readily in their homerooms, but they would also be available in some 7th, 8th, and 9th grade language arts and literacy classes. Additionally, of the 163 students who had access to the magazines in the various classrooms, only 21 students responded that they never read from the magazines. Therefore, over 87% of the students took advantage of this reading opportunity. Of the twelve different magazines, students indicated they read the most articles from 1) ESPN 2) Seventeen 3) X-Box 4) Car & Driver 5) Twist 6 Tied) 4-Wheeler and Popular Science 7 Tied) Science Illustrated and J-14 8) Dime 9) Girls Life 10) Justine. The additional magazines such as Mental Floss, Games, and Fantasy & Science Fiction were used in classroom settings and on Game Challenge Fun Days.

Teachers and students reported that they loved having the magazines in their classrooms, and students were thrilled when they were able to take one of their favorite magazines home at the end of the year (while supplies lasted!). Although the data is not available to put together an action research paper let alone pass one of Lou Ferroli’s “Cool Studies” scrutinies, this priceless anecdote from one of the participating teachers says volumes about the value of this grant: “When we finally got the magazines in our homerooms, I was surprised and delighted! It was the first time D**** stopped squirming in his seat and actually read!” Thank you IRC for supporting literacy in all forms!

Reviving the Love of Reading By Diana Woods

During the 2010-2011 school year adults at East Richland Elementary School, Olney, IL, were able to enjoy book clubs with fourth graders through a grant from the Illinois Reading Council. With monies from this grant 15 copies of thirteen of the new Bluestem Award books were purchased. Fourth grade students were divided into groups of six and assigned a group leader. Title 1 teachers, Teaching Assistants, Principals, and Speech Pathologist served as discussion leaders. Each group was assigned one of the books and given four weeks to read it. Book clubs were staggered during the week and held during fourth grade lunch period so students were not missing core instructional time. On their discussion day students brought their lunch to the assigned room and discussed the book they had read. After discussion the students received another book to be read by the next meeting date. Students were given a report card and asked to evaluate the books they read so they would have an easier time of voting for their favorite book. Voting took place during March with our school winner being Oggie Cooder. Our students and leaders enjoyed the opportunity to read and discuss new books together which were the right reading and interest level. Students were reading fiction and nonfiction and exposed to books that they might not otherwise have chosen to read.

Does YOUR SCHOOL Receive the Recognition It Deserves? Do These Statements Describe YOUR SCHOOL and its Reading/Language Arts Program?1. The reading program is consistent with sound theory, research,

and practice. 2. The reading program facilitates student learning. 3. Students have access to a wide variety of reading materials. 4. Students demonstrate success in reading. 5. Comprehension strategies are taught and applied across the

curriculum. 6. Listening, speaking, viewing, and writing are being integrated into

the reading program. 7. Administrators provide leadership and vision for the building and/

or district reading program. 8. The school and/or district offers support services to the

program. 9. Literacy activities occur outside of school. 10. The community is involved in the reading program.

The INTERNATIONAL READING ASSOCIATION, in cooperation with state/provincial councils, honors schools for outstanding service to reading and literacy education through its

EXEMPLARY READING PROGRAM AWARD.

Applications are available at reading.org and must be postmarked by November 15, 2011.

Little IllinoisWritten by Esther Hershenhorn www.estherhershenhorn.comIllustrated by Michael Glenn MonroeSleeping Bear Press May 2011Category: Board Book Ages: 3 and upTen little riddles! Each shares a joy you can find in Illinois! In an easy-to-read board book format, Little Illinois shares 10 rhyming riddles to introduce young readers to Illinois state symbols and identifying features like the red-feathered bird singing purdy-purdy-purdy, the city by the lake that stands sky-high, the summer party showing cows and pigs. Brightly-painted clues frame each riddle.

A Dollar Bill’s Journey

Written by Suzanne Slade www.suzanneslade.comIllustrated by Susan SwanPicture Window Books January 2011Category: Picture Book Ages: 4-8

Multiply on the FlyWritten by Suzanne Slade www.suzanneslade.comIllustrated by Erin E. HunterSylvan Dell Publishing August 2011Category: Picture Book Ages: 4-8

Rescuing Rover: Saving America’s DogsWritten by Raymond Bial www.raybial.comHoughton Mifflin May 2011Category: Nonfiction Ages: 9-12

Rescue PupWritten by Brenda L. Fiorini www.joyfuljourneybooks.comIllustrated by Nathan BehmlanderJoyful Journey Books August 2010Category: Picture Books Grades: PreK-2Rescue Pup is a rhyming story about an abandoned pup that faces many dangers until he enters a shelter where he waits for a special friend to adopt him. This book touches on feelings as well as virtues such as responsibility, caring, friendship, and love. Great read-aloud and character builder!

Sound ProofWritten by Barbara Gregorich www.barbaragregorich.comCreateSpace April 2011Category: Mystery Ages: Adult

CloudetteWritten and Illustrated by Tom Lichtenheldwww.tomlichtenheld.comHenry Holt March 2011Category: Picture Book Ages: 4-8

Welcome to the “Illinois Authors’ Corner,” showcasing new releases from our fabulous Illinois Authors and IRC members. If you’d like to include your new release, please visit the IRC website to find out how to submit information.


August 2011 17

Safety Area: All Text, Logos & Barcode should remain inside the Pink Dotted Lines

Bleed Area: All Backgrounds should extend to, but not past, the Blue Dotted Lines

Rescue Pup

A special dog, a big adventure, a happy ending!

Illustrations by Nathan Behmlander

Brenda Fiorini

Rescue PupA special dog, a big adventure, a happy ending!

Buddy is abandoned in an empty house and breaks free, only to be faced with many dangers on his own. He eventually fi nds himself in an overcrowded shelter where he fears he will never be noticed and adopted.

This story builds character as it deals with concepts like responsibility, friendship, and love. Young readers benefi t from early exposure to these virtues. In Rescue Pup, these concepts are presented naturally in the course of the story so children can easily grasp them.

Perhaps what gives the story its greatest impact is that it is largely based on a true story. What makes it important is that what happened to Buddy happens all too often in our modern world. That’s why this simple book is also a very important one. As we teach our children how to respon-sibly care for the animals put into our charge, we begin to create a future in which pets do not need to go through what Buddy did.

Joyful Journey BooksP.O. Box 216

Rock Falls, IL 61071

www.joyfuljourneybooks.com

“Great story . . . tears of sorrow . . . tears of joy . . . if this book can help families un-derstand that animals have feelings just like humans, if it can save animals from being abandoned, or if it can teach people to be responsible when caring for an animal, then all of Brenda’s work will be worthwhile.”

—Pat Uhler, Humane Educator & Board Member, Happy Tails Humane Society, Sterling, IL

• • •

“This book has great appeal for a wide age range. There are many lessons to be learned from this story. It shows the hardships that unwanted pets have to endure and the happy ending that ALL pets deserve. Brenda shows that our pets deserve to be part of the family. Adoption is the joyful ending to a tragic beginning for Buddy.”

—Judy Lohse, Manager, Granny Rose Animal Shelter, Dixon, IL, Lee County 4-H Dog Trainer, 4-H Leader Green River Rockets Club

November 2011 IRC Communicator and Illinois Authors’ Corner deadline for submissions is September 1, 2011!

Cool Studies: The Preschoolers and Prisoners of Charles Read By Lou Ferroli

“In my own research giving spelling tests in English and Spanish...I never once had to exclude a six-year old because I

feared for my safety.”

Continued on page 19

18 August 2011


You have to love a piece of research that compares the skills of adults with those of preschoolers. That’s just what Charles Read did. It has been forty years since his landmark work, so IRC members might not be familiar with Read. The legend goes that when he was a Harvard ABD (all-but-dissertation) in linguistics he turned to his colleague, Carol Chomsky, looking for an idea for his dissertation. She picked up some of the writings of her young son (The offspring of Carol and Noam Chomsky just might be a bit precocious), handed them to Read and said, “You’re a linguist. Make sense of what’s going on here.” He did.

In 1971 Read’s “Pre-school Children’s Knowledge of English Phonology” showed that kids’ writings are more interpretable if you think about articulation. Kids don’t spell words how they sound; they spell according to how words feel when you pronounce them. It was Read who gave us the term “invented spelling.” He didn’t call it “phonetic spelling” or “temporary spelling” or “brave spelling,” although, based on a couple times I heard him speak, he might be OK with that term. He chose “invented” because he wanted to capture the idea that the children’s spellings were thoughtful and strategic. Read’s revelations about what kids were really doing in their inventions informed a line of research that identified developmental spelling stages and culminated in something IRC members are likely to be familiar with, the ever-popular Words Their Way manual for word study (now in its 83rd edition).

In 1985 Read was interested in comparing the literacy skills of primary graders with those of adults. He noted that awareness of sounds in spoken language and decoding is at the core of learning to read, but in this study his questions had to do with later development. He wondered if primary children who are weak in segmenting and decoding skills are merely lagging behind developmentally. If so, maturation and experience will bring about improvement. On the other hand, it might be that these struggles with segmentation and decoding are persistent. If so, they will show up among older poor readers.

Read and his colleague, Lyda Ruyter, needed to find a large sample of adults with low literacy skills, so they did the logical thing and went to Wisconsin. Their sample consisted of 55

men in the Wisconsin Correctional System who scored at or below the fifth-grade in reading on the Stanford Achievement Test (third-grade, on average). They gave the subjects a battery of tests: segmentation tasks, reading and spelling strategies, decoding skill, and cognitive skills. They tossed in some of the neat tasks Read had used with pre-schoolers about phonetic judgments, such as “Is ‘bet’ more like ‘bait’ or ‘boat’?” (It’s “bait.”) Their purposes were to describe in greater detail the basic skills of adults who are poor readers and to compare the quality of the reading of adults who have third-grade skills with the reading of actual third-graders.

One finding did reveal that these adults read differently from kids. Subjects were asked to read regularly spelled words (dome, gum), exceptional words (come, some), and nonce

words (gome, fum). The older readers did better than kids on exception words but worse on nonce words. Read attributed the adults’ superiority on exception words to their greater experience in reading. They got better over time at recognizing some words that occur frequently. Thus, there was some developmental change.

The adult readers had the greatest difficulty with “’nonce” words, which require basic decoding skill. In this way

they are just like children who experience severe difficulty in reading. They were “ten years beyond the fifth grade” but still demonstrated an inordinate lack of facility with the phonetic code. Read described his readers as making “little effective use of sound-spelling relationships, reading and spelling English as if it were written like Chinese.” Some of the phonetic relationship tasks showed that the adults were thinking like children. When asked to choose pictures that began like train from among: tray, trunk, truck, tree; and tent, turtle, tie, tire; and cheese, chain, chair, and church, “a significant minority” chose words from the last group as beginning like train. The explanation, of course, is that the TR in train is an affricated sound and does indeed sound like the CH. Read explained that “Literate adults are generally not aware of this similarity because they are influenced by standard spelling. Like young children, these adults of low literacy made phonetically (rather than orthographically) justifiable judgments on this task.”

Cool Studies continued from page 18


August 2011 19

In the end, Read and Ruyter found that segmentation skill does not just come around over time as part of cognitive maturation. It’s not like knowing the ABC’s which eventually get mastered by even the most disabled readers. Adults who never acquire skill in segmentation will remain poor in decoding and will not develop in reading and spelling beyond a beginning level.

The cool part of the study for me and the reason that I keep this old favorite handy comes from the frequent references to how the research was modified during the course of data collection. They dropped several subtests because the subjects “resisted tasks that seemed too much like school.” When doing the phonetic judgment tasks: “We asked very few subjects to do these tasks precisely because they found them so easy and boring that they were inattentive.” In general the subjects were “quick to object to tasks that they considered demeaning.” Got to love it! Changing the study because of uncooperative subjects. But my absolute favorite of all: “We excluded some subjects who had committed particularly violent crimes.” In my own research giving spelling tests in English and Spanish to kindergarten through second-grade kids or norming the ISEL, I never once had to exclude a six-year old because I feared for my safety.

There was one time, however, just a couple years after I read this study when I did have such an experience. I was hired to test and then testify voir dire as to whether or not an armed robbery suspect could read well enough to confirm that his transcribed confession was in fact what he had confessed to. I tested him in a glass-enclosed room in the Winnebago County Corrections Center into which passing inmates could see. As I prepared to administer the Woodcock Passage Comprehension Test, I invited my armed robbery defendant to move to a smaller and more private room. He said he was good with where we were. I skipped the easiest items on the Passage Comprehension subtest because I knew what was there. As luck would have it, he missed an early question, and I had to drop back to item one. So, with him now looking at a test item that was illustrated by the cutest little kitten sitting inside a young girl’s bonnet, there we sat in plain view. The next thing I knew, my offer to move to a back room was accepted after all. I did have the sense to direct the inmate to enter the room first so that he was at the back of the room and my assistant and I sat near the doorway. Maybe I took that precaution because in the back of my mind was yet another lesson I learned as a student of reading research, prisoners and third graders are alike in some ways, but not in others.

Read, C. & Ruyter, L. (1985). Reading and spelling skills in adults of low literacy. Remedial and Special Education, 6, 43-52.

Illinois Reading Council1210 Fort Jesse Road, Suite B2Normal, IL 61761

Non-Profit Org.US Postage

PAIDPermit No. 800Springfield, IL

IRC Awards & GrantsAre you interested in learning how to nominate individuals from your area for IRC awards or how to benefit from grant money that is available each year for various educational activities? To find out more about these IRC Awards and Grants, please visit the IRC website at www.illinoisreadingcouncil.org.

HALL OF FAME AWARD: The IRC has designed the Hall of Fame Award to recognize significant contributions to reading or reading education. This award will be given at the annual IRC Conference. All nomination forms must be received by November 1, 2011.

ILLINOIS READING EDUCATOR OF THE YEAR AWARD: This award recognizes outstanding teachers who make contributions in promoting literacy among students, colleagues, and school communities. The application form, letters of recommendation, and your philosophy statement are due by November 1, 2011.

LEGISLATOR OF THE YEAR AWARD: This award recognizes an Illinois Legislator who demonstrates outstanding contributions toward advocating literacy and education in Illinois. Nominations are due by November 1, 2011 to the IRC Legislative Committee and the award will be given during the annual IRC Conference.

PARENTS AND READING AWARD: This award recognizes an IRC member who promotes and supports parent involvement in children’s reading. Deadline for nominations is November 1, 2011 and materials to be submitted are due December 1, 2011.

ADULT AND FAMILY LITERACY AWARD: The IRC Adult and Family Literacy Committee will award up to $750 to IRC Local Councils to develop and implement projects to help address adult literacy issues. Literacy projects that involve adults or adults with their children will be considered for funding. Proposals must be postmarked by November 1, 2011. Grantees will be notified by December 15, 2011.

BARACK OBAMA LIBRARY AWARD: Do you know a teacher of 5th-8th-grade kids who could make good use of a classroom library? This award is a classroom library, valued at over $1000, which was created in 2006 through a generous gift to the IRC from (then) Senator Obama. This collection is composed of carefully selected literature that is “culturally relevant” for African-American readers and targets students in the middle-school (5th-8th) grade range. This year the 2012 library will be awarded to a teacher in or near Rockford, Illinois. Nominations are due by November 1, 2011.

IRC SERVICE AWARD: The IRC Service Award will be awarded to the most deserving individuals who meet the criteria listed in the grant guidelines. These certificates will be awarded at the annual IRC Conference. All nomination forms must be received by November 1, 2011.

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