august 2012 irc communicator

We all know what HOT means now that we survived one of the hottest Julys in weather history.

But HOT is not limited to our feelings about the temperature. Yes, you might have sweltered and sweated. You might have burned and boiled, maybe even blistered. Putting all of that aside, we begin to ready ourselves for a HOT year in education. If we use the definition that HOT means passionate, then we are HOT! We have the IRC Journal with the hottest articles and columns. We have the IRC Communicator with warm and passionate stories from reading folks around the state. We have a fervent team working in the IRC office, and an eager Executive Committee to support statewide officers and committee chairs. Added to this hot mixture, we have thousands of teachers, librarians, consultants, and reading aficionados working diligently to support the literacy development of students and their families.

What else is HOT? The Common Core State Standards of course. Here is an opportunity to put away the test prep and focus on reading as meaning making. We can passionately embrace the best practices that engage readers with the teacher, the texts, and each other. We can set up opportunities for students to read, respond, synthesize, and write about the world. We are free once again to spark the passion for reading and communicating in our students. CCSS scares a lot of people, but not the passionate literacy educators of Illinois!

Let us take our roiling, boiling passion for reading, move forward, and show our legislators that they got it right this time. Reading is meaning making. It is a social event, not a fill-in-the blank exercise. Reading is a creative process, not a single-answer activity. Literacy is what makes us human.

Be not afraid of the Common Core State Standards. CCSS emphasizes higher-level thinking, includes writing in the reading process, encourages critical citizenship, pushes us to teach complex texts, holds us to high standards, supports literacy development over time and across disciplines, promotes student independency as a goal, and emphasizes that all students must have access to the complexity of text and ideas. Most important to me is that the CCSS respects our professional

IRC President

Pat Braun

Volume 36, Number 1 August 2012

In This Issue:

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

IRC ACTIVITIES2012-13 Grant Recipients . . . . . 5 Awards at IRA Convention . . . . 7 2013 IRC Conference . . . . . . . 17IRC Awards and Grants . . . . . 20

FORMS2013 Program Proposal for IRC Conference . . 10-12Static Stick Decal Contest . . . 13-14

FEATURES36th Day of Reading . . . . . . . . . 3 Meet an IRC Researcher . . . . . . 4Kelly Gallagher Conference . . . 6 Planting Seeds of Literacy . . . . . 6RtI/CC Book Review . . . . . . . . . 7Newspapers in Education . . . . . . 8Gordon Korman School Visit . . . 8Illinois Authors’ Corner . . . . . 9Legislative Update . . . . . . . . . . 15Rotary Club Partnership . . . . . 15Statues Across Illinois . . . . . . . 16IRA Arbuthnot Award . . . . . . . . 16Politically Correct or Censorship . . 17Cool Studies . . . . . . . . . . . 18-19Exemplary Reading Program . . 19

Continued on page 3

Registration and Housing will be available in the fall!

2013 IRC Conference March 14-16, 2013

August 2012 Communicator.indd 1 8/20/12 11:02 AM

IRA State Coordinator

Roberta Sejnost

2 August 2012

The Illinois Reading Council Communicator

“good leadership …that element which not only keeps our councils strong but

also helps grow new leaders.”

Walk the Leadership Talk

As we reflect on the theme of this year’s Leadership Retreat, L e a d , D e v e l o p , Endeavor, Succeed, and remember the d e l i g h t f u l b o o k , If I Never Forever

Endeavor, by Holly Meade that was the source of our theme, we laud the many new council ideas that were planned and developed. However, although the retreat has passed, the need for good leadership continues because it is that element which not only keeps our councils strong but also helps grow new leaders. One of the benefits of being the IRA state coordinator for Illinois is the myriad of leadership resources available to me. A most effective one I have found is the “How To” Handbook –180 Ways to Walk the Leadership Talk.

Below are four strategies from that book; more information about this book and other leadership books can be found at walkthetalk.com.

Listen and Learn from Others is probably the most important leadership attribute of all.The leader who listens: • Knows what’s going on around her because listening

opens the doors to genuine communication. • Demonstrates respect and caring for others. • Learns and uses that learning to guide actions to

foster change, growth and preparation for the future. Energize the Organization.Leaders are: • Batteries that jump-start people and get individuals

and teams moving in the right direction. • Cheerleaders who keep the energy up and the

organization humming. • Keeping people excited about their jobs, enthused

about the team, and motivated about what they can accomplish.

Develop Yourself and Others.Effective leaders:• Understand that the strength of their organization

lies within the talents of their members. • Know they have a responsibility to grow these

talents so they pay dividends to the organization. • Place a premium on continuous learning through a

variety of methods. • Understand that when members stop growing, so

does the organization.

Empower Others to Lead because the more control you give to others, the more control you have. Effective leaders:• Delegate responsibility. • Give people responsibility so they take ownership of and care about the results they achieve.

Other excellent books on leadership include:

• To Lead is to Serve: How to Attract Volunteers & Keep Them,

Shar McBee, focuses on organizations that have an office staff and recruit volunteers, similar to our own IRC. It has many good suggestions on how to foster and support volunteering. The author’s website is www.toleadistoserve.com.

• Start With Why, Simon Sinek, provides an excellent springboard or guide for strategic planning by focusing on the fact that organizations talk about WHAT to do and HOW to do it but often ignore the WHY.

Each of the books featured above will help us hone our leadership skills and, as I mentioned earlier, help us to Always Forever Endeavor.

Yours in literacy,Bobbie Sejnost



August 2012 3

MissionThe mission of the Illinois Reading Council is to provide support and leadership to educators as they promote and teach lifelong literacy.

Illinois Reading Council203 Landmark Drive, Suite B

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!

President’s Message continued from page 1judgment. We now have the opportunity to make the best decisions for the students in our classrooms. Along with this opportunity comes the responsibility to advocate for our students, ourselves, and learning in a literate society.

If the state thinks it was a HOT July, they have not seen the passionate professionals of Illinois in action! The Illinois Reading Council is the HOTTEST professional organization in the country. Our organization is dedicated to its mission to provide support and leadership to educators as they promote and teach lifelong literacy. Stay connected. Read the IRC Journal and the Communicator. Participate in council activities. Attend the IRC Conference, Literacy for Life, in March. It is COOL to be HOT in our profession.


The Studies and Research Commi t t ee con t inues building its network of IRC members engaged in research by introducing another member, Donna Herman, and her project.

At the bottom of Donna Herman’s email signature is the following quote from Elizabeth Hardwick: “The

greatest gift is the passion for reading. It is cheap, it consoles, it distracts, it excites. It gives you knowledge of the world and experience of a wide kind. It is moral illumination.”

How apropos, for Donna brings that gift to her 9th-12th grade students at Andrew High School in Tinley Park. She is a beacon of light to her 240 fellow teachers as well as to all of her classes.

Donna earned her B.A. from DePaul University, Chicago, in Storytelling and Special Education. She continued in the field, earning an M.S. in Reading from the University of St. Francis, Joliet, and an M.A. in Special Education from Lewis University, Romeoville. Later she added her Type-75 and Director of Special Education certificates also from Lewis University.

Donna has concentrated her research on the effects of reading and special education students in grades 9-12. She teaches five classes during her regular day, but also keeps in touch with her students outside of class during their school day when the pressure of class performance is less demanding for them. Reading has remained central to the progress of her students who range from ELL to Mildly Mentally Impaired, as well as including students with physical disabilities that can range from hearing loss to more severe impairments. Donna feels the key to her students’ success is helping them to understand their own particular disability and giving them strategies to help

Nominations for the 2013 IRC Hall of Fame Award are due November 1, 2012.

To find out how you can nominate individuals from your area for IRC Awards, please visit the IRC Website at www.illinoisreadingcouncil.org.

“The greatest gift is the passion for

reading. It gives you knowledge of the

world and experience of a wide kind.”

4 August 2012


Meet an IRC ResearcherBy Boomer Crotty, Studies and Research Committee Member

themselves. Two essential beliefs drive Donna’s research. First, that each child is an individual, so each program is modified to meet their individual needs. And second, that education is a lifelong journey and not a final destination.

Her findings to date have been limited to individual successes. Donna hopes to draw patterns of progress through the reading process. For example: one ELL student who had mastered less than 50% of the Dolch Word List due in part to his limited literacy in his first language was still able to create and post on-line a small book on soccer, the great driving force of his life.

Donna also has been working on helping her students increase their self-esteem through the reading process. Doing so will continue to enhance her students’ journeys in life, well beyond their school years.

Recently, one of her classes unanimously voted to read The Hunger Games. As its reading could only be done during class time, the project was difficult and time consuming. Nevertheless they finished it with smiles on their

faces. Donna concentrates on word identification through recognition of word parts in context; first in sentences, then paragraphs, and finally, stories. Because of her reading techniques and strategies, some of her students have achieved higher levels of synthesis and analysis. They use these reading strategies to understand the purpose of learning and to develop a perception of how they fit into the world.

Who can profit by talking to Donna? Anyone who has or has ever had a child with learning disabilities in his or her class. Donna has a plethora of knowledge in this area. But even more important is the fact that she cares about the individual reader. Donna is a Board Member of the Will County Reading Council, a member of IRC and IRA, a storyteller, a presenter both locally and statewide, and, above all, a catalyst who personifies the philosophy of Hardwick’s quote.



August 2012 5


IRC Councils are planning literacy

conferences and projects across the state. Check out the IRC Calendar

of Events atillinoisreadingcouncil.org.

6 August 2012


Kelly Gallagher ConferenceBy Carol Owles, MID-State Treasurer

On June 18, 2012, MID-State Reading Council had the pleasure of hosting our Summer Conference with Kelly Gallagher as our speaker. We were pleased to have over 165 teachers and administrators attend our one-day conference. We appreciate the support of IRC Councils from around the State, whose members attended, as well as our local school districts. Our two local districts each sent over 30 teachers to the conference. We partnered with our Regional Office of Education, #17, whose Assistant Superintendent supported over 30 teachers in attending. The ROE also provided refreshments and our lunch. In addition, an IRC Speakers grant provided the funds to defray our expenses and gave us the confidence to take on this endeavor. We feel our conference was a huge success because of the support from the above-mentioned co-sponsors. Thank you to all.

Mr. Gallagher did a great job of sharing ideas, stories, and his teaching experiences with us. His presentation included many ideas for using mentor texts for our writing instruction, with many suggestions for good literature. He also emphasized the importance of our modeling for students. For reading, he shared ideas for securing books for our classroom libraries, as well as strategies and skills he utilizes in his instruction to get students to think about what they have read. It was a day filled with teaching ideas, as well as “food for thought,” as each of us reflects on our own teaching.

Thanks to all who helped us have a successful conference—professionally, intellectually, and financially, as well as in our membership growth. (We set our registration fee to include an IRC membership for each non-member attendee.) Because of our financial success, the MID-State Board has decided to share our profits with members. We will increase the amount and number of our local grants for teachers and administrators for this coming year. We also talked with Tammy Potts, our IRC President-Elect and founder of Illinois Reads, and gave a donation as seed money to help get this exciting program started!

Planting the Seeds of LiteracyBy Andrea Schaal

As President of the Fox Valley Reading Council, I wanted our council to initiate a community strand to the work we do. We brainstormed many ideas during the 2011 Leadership Retreat. Our final idea was an outgrowth of the Books for Babies program- a national literacy program organized by the Association of Library Trustees, Advocates, Friends and Foundations.

After receiving a generous $500 community grant from Walmart and collecting children’s books at our events, we formed a partnership with VNA of Fox Valley (Visiting Nurses Association) located in Aurora. As a life-long resident of Aurora, I was not aware of this invaluable

community resource. The VNA, a not-for-profit organization, provides comprehensive community health care services regardless of an individual’s ability to pay.

Jaclyn Giordano, our Parents and Reading Committee Chair, worked with the Aurora Public Library in creating informational flyers detailing how to obtain a library card, library locations and the library services available. In addition, she

prepared a “Tips for Reading Aloud With Babies.”

I had the best job: filling my cart up to the brim at Walmart with quality board books like P.D. Eastman’s Are You My Mother? Finally, all the pieces had come together, and we were ready for delivery. Lisa Jackson from the VNA greeted me and together we unloaded and wheeled in the treasures. Lisa works with the VNA’s “Reach Out and Read” program. When books are available, healthcare providers give children a book at their yearly well child exam and follow up by discussing with the parents the importance of reading to children. Lisa was thrilled to get a new supply of books as the clinic had depleted their supply.

Thank you to all our members who brought books to our event and to Walmart’s generosity. We hope that our small efforts have firmly planted a seed for a lifelong love of literacy for many children.


RtI/Common Core Committee Book ReviewsBy Gail Huizinga, RtI/Common Core Committee Co-Chair


August 2012 7

In an on-going effort to provide IRC membership with the most current and useful resources supporting the implementation of CCSS and RtI, the RtI/Common Core Committee will begin providing brief reviews of professional texts read by committee members. It is hoped that by providing these reviews, members can target book purchases that address specific interests and needs. The reviews will be shared through the IRC Communicator and on the RtI/CC Committee link on the IRC website. The Committee would also like to invite IRC members to submit their own reviews of texts they have read so that many more resources will be available to members. The workload is large, so we need to help each other!

Title: Teaching Students to Read Like Detectives: Comprehending, Analyzing, and Discussing Text. Author(s): D. Fisher, N. Frey, & D. LappPublisher: Solution TreeISBN: 978-1-935543-52-7Reviewer: Gail HuizingaCCSS Standard Strands Addressed: Reading, Writing, Language, Speaking and Listening

Let me just say, I have been well served to read any book or article written by these prolific authors. This book is no exception. Teaching Students to Read Like Detectives delves into the important connection between text, learner, and learning. Instructional strategies promoting close reading, comprehension, discussion, and reflection are clearly presented in this well written book. In true Fisher, Frye, and Lapp tradition, they provide clear examples of teacher modeling, direct instruction, graphic organizers, and activities leading to students being successful performing CCSS rigor.

The introductory first chapter, entitled “Comprehension Occurs Through Text-Based Analysis and Discussion,” begins laying out for the reader where literacy instruction has been and how it is shifting due to the CCSS. The authors’ reference to research done over the past decades gives the reader a clear picture of educational changes: what worked and what did not. It helps the reader understand how literacy instruction became what it is today and how it needs to change if our students are to accomplish the rigorous demands of the CCSS.

As a practitioner, I always appreciate being given specific titles I can use to teach new skills or strategies. Modeling of teacher/student discussion provides guidance as to how I might teach the specific strategy or skill. In addition, who doesn’t like ample graphic organizers and rubrics to copy and use immediately in your classroom with your students? All of these are contained in the book. As we implement close reading, critical thinking, and deep engagement of text with our students, Teaching Students to Read Like Detectives provides sound guidance on how to do just that. Terrell A. Young, Professor of Literacy Education at Washington State University stated on the back cover, “This book is solid gold!” I agree.

Awards at the IRA ConventionIRC received the following awards at the 57th annual IRA Convention on April 29th in Chicago, Illinois:

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 AssociationEast Central-EIU Reading CouncilLewis and Clark Reading CouncilMID-State Reading CouncilNorthern Illinois Reading CouncilPrairie Area Reading CouncilSouth Eastern Reading CouncilSuburban Council of IRA (SCIRA)Two Rivers Reading Council

Membership Achievement AwardIllinois Reading Council received a GOLD recognition for growth in IRA membership.

Exemplary Reading Program Award Augustus H. Burley School, Chicago, Illinois


8 August 2012


As you return from a much needed, well deserved summer vacation, I know you are already thinking about the coming school year, the extra demands, the “new rules, new standards,” etc. While you are out and about consider what your local newspaper, a national newspaper, a newspaper from another area might have to offer for your classroom, for your students, for you. The newspaper offers a source for current reading that appeals to a variety of interests from news to politics to sports. Since many articles are written at the middle school reading level, students in many grades should be capable of reading and understanding them. For younger students, you might want to consider clipping photos with their captions and using that information.

The Common Core Standards can be addressed through the use of newspaper articles. The lengths of the articles make them good to use to introduce these concepts and ideas. In the introductory information about the English Language Arts standards, the following concepts are among those mentioned:

Key Ideas and details

• Read closely to determine what the text says explicitly and to make logical inferences from it; cite specifictextualevidencewhenwritingorspeakingto support conclusions drawn from the text.

• Choose a story about a major local or world event (the London Olympics, for example) and discuss what is mentioned and what is implied. Students can create oral reports to share the events.

Craft and Structure

• Interpret words and phrases as they are used in a text, including determining technical, connotative, andfigurativemeanings,andanalyzehowspecificword choices shape meaning or tone.

• The political realm contains a variety of items that contain figurative terminology, connotations and specific word choices.

Integration of Knowledge and Ideas

• Analyze how two or more texts address similar themes or topics in order to build knowledge or to compare the approaches the authors take.

• For example, what about the sports articles about an important game from two opposing teams’ hometown newspapers—when reading these two articles does it seem as though they are discussing different games?

Range of Reading and Level of Text Complexity

• Read and comprehend complex literary and informationaltextsindependentlyandproficiently.

• Choose an article about the weather, the economy, etc., and have the students read it, summarize it, and answer questions about key elements of the article.

I hope you enjoyed your summer, traveled safely, and were able to rest, relax, rejuvenate, and READ!!

Newspapers In EducationBy Leslie Forsman, NIE Co-Chair

GORDON KORMAN, author of many

award-winning young adult and children’s books, is coming to Springfield to speak

at the Illinois Reading Council Conference on March 14, 2013.

Gordon is interested in speaking at a local

school or library on Wednesday, March

13th or Friday, March 15th. Please contact

the IRC Office at 309-454-1341 or by email at irc@illinois

readingcouncil.org for more information.


The Literacy Coaching SeriesWritten by Susan K. L’Allier and Laurie Elish-Pipertheliteracycoachingseries.comLearnSure, Inc. March 2012Category: Professional DVD Grades: K-5Susan L’Allier and Laurie Elish-Piper published this “workshop in a box” for literacy coaches, reading specialists, and college/university professors. The Literacy Coaching Series is based on several research studies that examined the relationship between literacy coaching and student reading achievement. The results of these studies led to the Targeted Coaching Model which focuses on how coaches can help teachers enhance their practice and improve student’s reading. The video vignettes show literacy coaches and teachers engaged in the research-based coaching activities from the Targeted Coaching Model: conferencing, administering and discussing assessments, modeling, and observing.

Happy Birthday, Dear Author!Written by Jacqueline Witter-EasleyUpstart Books/Highsmith February 2012Category: Professional Grades: 1-3Jackie Easley, former elementary teacher and assistant children’s librarian, shares her creative ideas for celebrating books–and the people who create them–every month of the school year. In this book, primary-level teachers will find recommended reading lists, helpful reproducibles, and specific author and illustrator party suggestions to make celebrating authors’ birthdays easy and fun in their school library or classroom. Teachers will find innovative ideas for integrating the authors’ books across their curriculum, while instilling a love of books and promoting recreational reading among their students. So, grab your party hats and look no further than Happy Birthday, Dear Author! for exciting programming ideas and hundreds of open-ended activities!

Literacy Strategies for Teacher CandidatesWritten by Laurie Elish-Piper and Susan K. L’AllierPearson March 2012Category: Professional Grades: K-8Veteran literacy teacher educators, Laurie Elish-Piper and Susan L’Allier, published this supplementary text as a scaffold for college/university instructors to help their teacher candidates apply the content and methods they are learning in their literacy courses. The book is organized into six chapters which address the most common content taught in literacy education methods classes: engagement with text, phonemic awareness, phonics, fluency, vocabulary, and comprehension. Each chapter provides research-based background information and a set of specific strategies; each strategy description includes a rationale, procedures for completing the strategy, connections to K-8 classrooms, modifications for English Language Learners, and assessment ideas.

Lend Me a PawWritten by Beth Finke bethfinke.wordpress.comIllustrated by National Geographic PhotographersNational Geographic May 2012Category: Nonfiction Grades: K-5


August 2012 9

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.

November 2012 IRC Communicator

and Illinois Authors’ Corner deadline for submissions is

September 1, 2012!


Submit Program Proposals Online at www.illinoisreadingcouncil.org!

2013 PROGRAM PROPOSAL Illinois Reading Council Conference March 14-16, 2013

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, 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 or 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, 2013). If not, name and presentation may be removed from the final 2013 Conference program due to printing deadlines.

• The person submitting the proposal must receive advance consent from each listed presentation associate.

• Each presentation room will be set with either an overhead or LCD projector and screen. All other audio-visual equipment is the responsibility of the presenter(s).

• Proposals must be submitted online at www.illinoisreadingcouncil.org or postmarked no later than September 1, 2012. 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, 2012. 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

203 Landmark Drive, Suite BNormal, 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


2013 PROGRAM PROPOSAL Illinois Reading Council Conference March 14-16, 2013

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:

9. Literacy Initiatives (inclusion, teaming, literacy coaching, RtI)10. Research-Based Practice11. Standards (CCSS), Assessment, and Evaluation12. Early Childhood and Emergent Literacy13. Literacy Across the Curriculum14. Administration15. Title I16. Adult and Family Literacy17. Library Instruction18. Visual and Critical Literacy

1. Literacy Skills (fluency, word identification, comprehension, vocabulary) 2. Literature Studies 3. Extending Literacy through Speaking and Listening 4. Extending Literacy through Writing 5. Technology in the Classroom 6. Diversity (multicultural, multiple intelligences, gender issues, ELL, gifted, at-risk) 7. Coordinating/Administering a Reading Program 8. Adolescent Literacy

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: Check AV preferences below. Each presentation room will be set with either an overhead or LCD projector and screen. Other equipment must be supplied by the presenter.

_______ LCD Projector/Screen _______ Overhead Projector/Screen _______ Internet Connection _______ Table and Chairs _______ Display Table _______ No AV Needed

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, 2013. If not, names and presentation may be removed from the final IRC conference program due to printing deadlines. I also understand that only one projector (LCD or overhead) 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, 2012 to:

Illinois Reading Council203 Landmark Drive, Suite B

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


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 203 Landmark Drive, Suite B Normal, IL 61761

ENTRIES MUST BE POSTMARKED NO LATER THAN JANUARY 15, 2013!

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 16, 2013 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, 2013 to: Kathleen Sweeney c/o Illinois Reading Council 203 Landmark Drive, Suite B Normal, IL 61761

APPLICATIONSTATIC STICK DECAL CONTEST



August 2012 15

Rotary Club PartnershipsBy Susan Sokolinski

Children’s literacy development can be promoted through symbiotic partnerships among families, schools, and communities (Waters, 2010). Strong partnerships among the International Rotary Club, the International Reading Association (IRA), state and local branches of IRA and Rotary, and schools (International Reading Association, 2009) have been established to promote the literacy development of adults and children throughout the world.

I am a second grade teacher at a public elementary school situated in a Chicago suburb. Several months ago, after consulting with members of my school grade-level team, I approached our local Rotary Club with a request to fund the purchase of an iPad for a second grader who attends the elementary school at which I am employed. The child is diagnosed with Dyslexia, memory deficits, Attention Deficit Disorder, and other learning disabilities that impact her literacy development. While extraordinary efforts have been made by teachers and administrators at the local building and district level to promote this child’s literacy development, her progress remains slow and the gap between her reading achievement and the reading achievement of her age-level peers continues to broaden. A teacher’s visit to the child’s home yielded valuable information about the family’s literacy practices. The vast amount of the family’s interaction with printed text occurs with iPads and other technology.

My colleagues and I concurred that the inclusion of technology in her literacy instruction may promote her engagement with literacy and thus her literacy achievement. Current research shows that new literacies build on traditional literacies (Leu, 2002). Leu argues that “the new literacies include the skills, strategies, and insights necessary to successfully exploit the rapidly changing information and communication technologies that continuously emerge in our world.”

My request for Rotary to fund the purchase of an iPad for our student did not meet the Rotary’s criteria for funding; however, several members of the philanthropic organization generously donated personal funds for the purchase. In order to establish a mutually beneficial partnership with Rotary, I agreed to make a presentation to our local school board about the organization’s support of our student. Moreover, I submitted information to two local newspapers. I strongly encourage other members of Illinois Reading Council to contact their local Rotary Clubs to develop similar partnerships that may promote literacy in your own communities.

Legislative UpdateBy Kathy Merz, Helen Bryant, Mike Ellerman

On June 11th, 2012 the Senate Appropriations Committee drafted their spending bill for the upcoming fiscal year. The House committee had been scheduled to meet and release their draft; however, this has now been postponed. The issue of sequestration–the cutting of 9% of federal education funds on January 2nd, 2013–is still in play. The house education committee has reported out their version of the Workforce Investment Act (WIA); it contains new legislative language for adult education. In addition, work continues on Common Core State Standards and the assessments. The United States Department of Education (US ED) has released its newest Race to the Top initiative aimed at funding districts with an important focus: personalization of instruction. For information on districts participating go to www.isbe.net/racetothetop/default.htm

The spending bill includes funding for the Comprehensive Literacy Program, Striving Readers, an additional $100 million for Title I, IDEA, plus funding for the President’s reform initiatives, Promise Neighborhoods and Race to the Top. Sequestration is an important item. During the debate on the U.S. debt ceiling it was agreed that the U.S. had to lower it’s spending. There was no agreement and so sequestration was developed to force spending cuts. For most K-12 education programs this would mean about a 9% cut of federal funds to schools. It could be a bit more or less as that is still to be determined. To make matters worse, school districts have had to plan their budgets for next year; some districts may not be fully aware of the effects of the potential cuts.

The budget issues focus attention on why advocacy is so crucial for literacy education. Legislators must understand that education is too important of an investment to be placed on the proverbial chopping block. The barrage of federal laws and regulations placing tough mandates on local school districts only increases the need for advocacy. Educators, administrators and parents need to participate in the discussion. The states are working on Common Core implementation. Over the summer the two main assessment consortia are working on developing their assessments. US ED announced their intent to expand the number of states receiving early childhood challenge grants by five. These are the five states (Illinois, Colorado, New Mexico, Oregon, and Wisconsin) that submitted applications that were just below the funding line. To review the notice go to http://www2.ed.gov/programs/racetothetop-earlylearningchallenge/index.html


16 August 2012


Are you looking for a project that incorporates Common Core Standards in a meaningful way?

ICARE has created the opportunity for you!

Who Is That? Statues Across Illinois;

What Is That: Monuments and Memorials Across Illinois

Most cities and towns have statues, monuments, and memorials located somewhere in the community that residents drive or walk past every day. Sometimes they notice them, sometimes they don’t. Who or what do these artistic renderings honor and commemorate?

Illinois students and teachers are invited to participate in this unique literacy project designed to gather information about statues, memorials, and monuments found in their community. Students are asked to select a statue, memorial, or monument in their community, conduct research on it, and write about the piece (the subject, the artist, the installation, the importance to the community…). Students are asked to submit a manuscript document that includes information AND a visual representation of the piece (photo or drawing). The documents will be compiled into a two-volume set that will be distributed to participating schools.

Who are the Giants in YOUR park? What are the events commemorated through art in YOUR community? You might be amazed at what you unveil!

TimelineFall 2012: Participating teachers and students create a submission detailing information about a statue, monument, or memorial found in their community (according to specifications outlined in instructions available on the IRC Website).December 14, 2012: Deadline for submission (electronically or hard copy) to Project Director.Winter 2013: ICARE Board of Directors selects manuscripts to be included in final book. Spring 2013: Final volumes hardbound and distributed to all participating schools and posted on IRC website.

IRA Arbuthnot AwardBy Joyce Jeewek, IRA Committee Member

Congratulations to Pamela J. Farris for receiving the IRA Arbuthnot Award at the International Reading A s s o c i a t i o n ’s 5 7 t h Annual Convention in Chicago, Illinois. The IRA Arbuthnot Award honors an outstanding college or universi ty teacher of children’s and young adults’ literature.

Nominees must be Association members, affiliated with a college or university, and engaged in teacher and/or librarian preparation at the undergraduate and/or graduate level.

Pamela J. Farris is a former elementary teacher in Indiana. She received her doctorate from Indiana State University. Currently she is a professor at Illinois State University teaching literacy courses. Her books include Language Arts: Process, Product, and Assessment in Diverse Classrooms (5th ed. Coauthored) and Elementary and Middle School Social Studies (6th ed), both literature-based. She’s authored 192 journal articles and presented throughout the world. Pam has been a member of IRA’s Children’s Choices and Teacher’s Choices committee. She is a member of the Illinois Reading Hall of Fame and an IRA member since 1975. Pam is also a member of the Illinois Reading Council.

Currently, IRA is accepting nominations for the 2013 IRA Arbuthnot Award. Nominations are also being accepted for the 2013 IRA Jerry Johns Outstanding Teacher Educator in Reading. This award honors an outstanding college or university teacher of reading methods or reading-related courses. Nominees for both awards must be IRA Association members, affiliated with a college or a university, and engaged in teacher preparation in reading at the undergraduate and/or graduate levels. The nomination deadline for both awards is November 15, 2012. For additional information, please visit the IRA website at www.reading.org.



August 2012 17

LITERACY FOR LIFEILLINOIS READING COUNCIL CONFERENCE

Featuring: A.R.T. – Authors Reader’s Theatre

The Preliminary Program will be available in October 2012!

“This Conference is the HIGHLIGHT of my year!”

“THE best Conference I’ve ever been to!”

“A great LEARNING experience!”

“The IRC Conference NEVER disappoints!”

Rosemary WellsJanet Allen

Jeff AndersonAvi

Julie CoiroSharon Draper

Nell DukeLaurie Elish-PiperKelly Gallagher

Jim GrantTim Green

Sara HolbrookMichael Salinger

Mary HowardLinda Hoyt

Katherine PatersonCarol JagoJerry JohnsTom Lindsay

Ellin Oliver KeeneGordon KormanSteven LayneRichard PeckTrent Reedy

Pam Munoz RyanNeal Shusterman

Jordan SonnenblickNancy Steineke

Sarah WeeksDonna Whyte

Politically Correct or Censorship?By Gail Huizinga, Intellectual Freedom Co-Chair

Each year, the members of the Intellectual Freedom Committee try to find ways in which the committee can support the IRC membership. At the Leadership Retreat this past July, IRC State-wide committees met to discuss their mission and goals. It was during that meeting our committee’s focus for this year became clearer.

Jennifer Young, a strong literacy advocate and highly involved IRC member, shared a personal event that illustrated an issue many educators may face when choosing literature for their classrooms. Attacks on intellectual freedom can happen in subtle ways, very often for what seems to be honorable reasons. With Jennifer’s permission and in her own words, the committee would like to share her experience. “Last year I was on a book selection committee focusing on readability/sentence structure in new texts for Reading Recovery and encountered a situation where I felt like I had to speak up about censorship. We had a book, a Porquoi, which was a Native American folk tale on how the bear lost his tail. My partner was offended about how the fox tricked the bear into sticking his tail into freezing water thus causing the bear to lose his tail. She felt it was a terrible thing to have happened and that we should not accept the book due to the bullying inference. I felt that the book was totally appropriate as far as readability and that it wasn’t our place to judge its content and political correctness. This was the genre and children should be exposed to ALL types of text.”

Jennifer’s experience should make all of us think about how political correctness can often times lead to censorship. We all need to be aware of how good intentions can bring unintended consequences. Multiple genres on a full range of topics should be experienced by children. The Common Core Standards require it. If you have had experiences such as this, the Intellectual Freedom Committee asks you to send them to IRC so that they can be shared with other IRC members via the Communicator. Through sharing each other’s stories, the Intellectual Freedom Committee hopes more educators will be aware of censorship in their lives and become advocates for literary freedom.


Cool Studies: Cold ReadingBy Lou Ferroli

Continued on page 19

“… teachers are searching not for oral reading activities but for alternative ways of covering material,

especially material that is difficult.”

18 August 2012


It was just coincidence that a horrifying article appeared on page one of my local paper this past Halloween. The story was about which local schools were making AYP. Usually that’s a tedious topic for me and an article I would skip, but this time there was a photo of a couple kids reading. The caption read: “Third-grade students Tina and Maya follow along as their classmates take turns reading aloud Wednes-day at Washington Gifted School.” Wonderful. Round robin reading (RRR) on page one and at the gifted school.

I went to the school’s website, looked up the name of the third-grade teachers, and confirmed that one of them was mine. So, I sent an email: Hi, Stacey. Just curious. Are Tina and Maya in your class? They were pictured in Monday’s paper and the caption has received considerable attention around here. The response came later that day. “Okay, Okay, let me explain,” and she went on to assure me that she never uses RRR. The irony is that she was out of the building that day. They actu-ally brought the newspaper to her class even though there was a substitute. Her kids have an obsession with books and had voted not to play Halloween games in exchange for silent reading time. Apparently the sub couldn’t grasp the concept of kids reading silently.

The incident inspired me to get up to date about the state of research on round robin reading. I’m aware that abundant evidence shows that RRR results in poor comprehension, slower content coverage, and excruciatingly small amounts of individual practice. It was encouraging to discover some recent research on RRR that is going in a different direction. Gwynne Ash at Texas State University has chased after this phenomenon for a little over a decade investigating not the ineffectiveness of RRR (That case has been made.), but the mysterious “continued pursuit” of the practice in everyday classrooms.

Ash, Kuhn, and Walpole (2009) designed a study to try to uncover reasons for continued use of RRR by using a series of open-ended questions rather than multiple-choice. “How would you describe the way(s) you use oral reading in your classroom (popcorn, round robin reading, partner reading,

teacher read aloud, etc.)?” In this short questionnaire they asked teachers if they use it, if they know the research related to RRR, what their goals were, their perceptions of advan-tages and disadvantages, and how students responded to RRR.

Their pool of participants wasn’t the most scientific selection process I’ve ever seen. They got some of their grad students to take the questionnaires back to their own faculties. The questionnaire was also distributed as part of a couple in-service training sessions. They had a total of 80 respondents, all of whom used some form of oral reading. Of those, 47 indicated that they used some version of RRR. From there it was basic qualitative data analysis where they read each response to each open-ended question and put them into cat-

egories. Multiple researchers working independently reached 90% agreement on the categories. They then worked together to resolve any differences that remained. The method they used was really simple. Statistical analysis involved nothing more than calculating percentages of how teachers responded to each question.

One question asked: “What is your understanding of the educational re-search regarding oral reading as you use it in your classroom?” Note that they did not say “round robin” specifi-

cally. That’s pretty cool. Almost half of the teachers who used RRR said either that they think the research is wrong or that they acknowledge the research but use RRR anyway. The authors quoted one response as representative of this I-use-it-anyway view. “I believe that it’s not a preferred approach, but it’s still used.” Some rationale! So much for research-based best practice.

Other findings caused me to pull my hair out. “The most commonly stated goal for the use of RRR was the evaluation/assessment of students’ reading.” Really? We’re using RRR because we’re evaluating their reading skill? How come I don’t see teachers taking notes? And why are they doing reading assessment during social studies?

The finding that caused me to reread a couple times (doing



August 2012 19

some serious comprehension monitoring) was that the most commonly identified benefit of RRR was “increased student engagement as a result of listening to others read,” while the most frequently identified disadvantage was “students get-ting off-task or failing to attend when others are reading.” Its advantage is facilitating attention, and its disadvantage is that it causes inattention.

The discussion section took this frustrating study to a higher level for me. The researchers pointed out the very real pos-sibility that people might use ineffective practices because they are unaware of effective alternatives. That makes sense, but I was so encouraged that Ash, et al did not do, at this point, what so many other studies, texts, or articles do, which is to recommend different oral reading activities. Opitz and Rasinski did it in the very title of their popular and valuable book Good-Bye Round Robin: 25 Effective Oral Reading Strategies as if RRR is used because teachers are searching for good oral reading activities. That is not why RRR is used! Likewise, Hilden and Jones in their column in Reading Today “Sweep RRR Out of Your Classroom” (April/May, 2012) did the exact same as they encouraged trying Readers’ Theater and Repeated Reading. Ash and colleagues insightfully argue that teachers are searching not for oral reading activities but for alternative ways of covering material, especially material that is difficult. It’s not about oral reading; it’s about cover-ing content. They go on to offer a few easy to manage and implement alternatives that involve silent reading.

At the close of their study the researchers still express some confusion about the disconnect between what we know about RRR’s ineffectiveness and its continuing practice. Thus, they conclude that merely informing teachers of the research is not enough to influence practice. They issue a call for different strategies for communicating about RRR.

Well, I’m on board, and here’s my new strategy. Let’s call a moratorium on the term “round robin.” The term is fun. It’s cute and innocent sounding. Athletic tournaments use a round robin format. Billy Crystal’s character in the movie City Slickers proposed that he and his friends take turns retrieving stray cattle “round robin style.” But RRR is not cute. It needs a different name. We could call it TWALP for Teaching Without a Lesson Plan. I mean, if all we’re going to do is have kids read orally and engage them in discussion as we go along, then a lesson plan that says: “pp 72-76” re-ally is good enough. Or we could call it “lazy instruction,” although I suspect that won’t catch on.

Ash, Kuhn, and Walpole (2009) report that teachers have dif-

ferentiated among variations and claim to be avoiding RRR by using “popsicle” reading, “popcorn” reading, or “combat” reading as if “it is less damaging when the students, rather than their teacher, call on their peers.” My search for a new term starts with this proposition: there are no variations of RRR! “Popcorn,” “popsicle,” or even using volunteers are all RRR because they all ask kids to read without preparation. That’s the identifying feature. I propose that we just call it CR, cold reading.

When we’re testing, we ask kids to read cold. That’s OK; they’re just reading to us. Do we ever, outside of school, read orally cold? Sure. When I’m reading The Very Hungry Caterpillar to my grandkids I read cold, no need to brush up on my Eric Carle in preparation for my audience of pre-schoolers. But that easy text and easy audience is very dif-ferent from trying to learn social studies or science content by reading from a demanding text and doing it in front of peers. Let’s replace the innocent-sounding label RRR with the more accurate label CR, cold reading. Or, if you prefer, cold reading for an audience of peers.

You can find the study at Ash, G., Kuhn, M., & Walpole, S. (2009). Analyzing “inconsistencies” in practice: Teachers’ continued use of round robin reading. Reading & Writing Quarterly, 25, 87-103.

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, 2012.

Cool Studies continued from page 18


Illinois Reading Council203 Landmark Drive, Suite BNormal, 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, 2012.

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, 2012.

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, 2012 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, 2012 and materials to be submitted are due December 1, 2012.

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, 2012. Grantees will be notified by December 15, 2012.

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 library will be awarded to a teacher in Region 9 which includes Southern Illinois or South Eastern Reading Councils. Nominations are due by November 1, 2012.

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, 2012.


august 2012 irc communicator

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irc communicator

irc awards

irc conference10

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