November 2012 IRC Communicator

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Fall, the richest time of the year. Time to gather the pumpkins, squash, apples, nuts, and pears. Time to can, pickle, freeze, bake and roast. Time to think about what we have and what we can share. Time to get together with family and friends.

Our fall classrooms are also rich, rich with children’s thoughts and ideas, drawings and projects. We know our students and we know what they need. We know they need to read rich literature, develop their vocabulary by interacting with complex fiction and nonfiction texts. We know they need to express their ideas through writing, drama, art, and music.

The minds of the teachers are also rich. Rich and full of best practices, ideas for motivating their students, stories, and knowledge about almost everything. We have been inundated with lessons from the Common Core State Standards. But these standards focus on goals, they do not tell us how to reach those goals. Teachers are now free and encouraged to gather the richness of their minds, their students’ natural curiosity, the most interesting materials and Internet resources, and blend them all together to create a learning community focused on developing literacy in all areas of learning.

Like the bounty from the fall season, it is time to gather what we know and what we can share with our students. Many of us teach because we enjoy reading and learning. Our enthusiasm can be contagious. When we get together with colleagues at reading council events, we talk about books and ideas, our students’ successes and challenges. When we get together with kids, we implement the rich ideas gleaned from the IRC Communicator and the Illinois Reading Council Journal. Our state council is the best in the nation. Enjoy what the local and state councils bring to you this fall.

Our literacy community is rich, full, and functioning. For that I am grateful.

IRC President

Pat Braun

Volume 36, Number 2 November 2012

In This Issue:

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

IRC ACTIVITIESIllinois Reads . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3 2013 IRC Conference . . . . . . . 14IRC Dues Increase . . . . . . . . . 172013 Prairie State Award . . . . . 20

FORMSIllinois Reads Marketplace . . . . 4 Static Stick Decal Contest . . . 7-8IRC Conference Registration . . . . . . . . . . . . 10 Housing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11ICARE for Reading Award . . . . 13

FEATURESI am an Author! . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5 Statues Across Illinois . . . . . . . 6 Writing Workshop in Haiti . . . . . 6I have an iPad . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9 ILLC’s 39th Annual Young Authors Conference . . . . . . . 9Meet an IRC Researcher . . . . . 12Newspapers in Education . . . . 14A to Z Literacy Movement . . . 15-16Illinois Authors’ Corner . . . . . 17Cool Studies . . . . . . . . . . . 18-19

Registration and Housing is available now!

2013 IRC Conference March 14-16, 2013

November 2012 Communicator.indd 1 11/27/12 11:00 AM

IRA State Coordinator

Roberta Sejnost

2 November 2012

The Illinois Reading Council Communicator

IRA Honor Council Award applications are due on or before

February 1.

“To finish first, you must first finish.”

~ Rick Mears

L e a d , D e v e l o p , Endeavor, Succeed was the theme for our summer Leadership Retreat. As we reflect on those words, we can begin to understand how effective leadership helps our councils

develop, and, when they develop, they endeavor and succeed. What better way to show that success than to apply for the IRA Honor Council award? As Rick Mears says: “To finish first, you must first finish.” And, the good news is that this year the application for IRA Honor Council is easier than ever to complete. Here are the changes that have been made to the 2012 - 2013 Honor Council Award. To receive the award:

1. Local and special interest councils submit their accomplishments from the previous fiscal year (July 1, 2011 – June 30, 2012). To clarify, now councils may submit activities that may have been submitted previously. Additional documentation occurring in the fall of 2012 may also be used to meet the criteria for achieving the Honor Council award if needed

2. Honor Council Award applications are due on or before February 1.

3. Councils need to only provide a brief summary of programs, projects, and activities to support each required and optional criteria. It is not necessary to scan newsletters, checks, or documents.

4. If a council achieved the Honor Council award status last year, they do not need to resubmit documentation. IRA Headquarters can access that information. But, Councils will still need to complete the online application and meet the following expectations to earn Honor Council this year: • 10 IRA Members• 1 New IRA Member

• Note: If a council did not meet this requirement last year, they may receive the award if they add at least one new IRA member between July 1, 2012 and January 31, 2012.

• Submission of Officer Report Form for 2012-2013

5. If a council did not achieve Honor Council Award status last year, they still have a chance to get the award this year. To accomplish this, councils may submit programs, projects, and activities from last year along with the new accomplishments this year to meet the required/optional criteria. Any council activities scheduled through January 31, 2012 may be used to fulfill criteria this year.

6. Councils need to choose two (2) optional criteria for Part II and two (2) optional criteria for Part IV. This

correction has also been made on the online documents.

7. The online submission form is very similar to the one used last year. To assure success, establish a login account so that the application process can be finished in phases and accessed again at a later time. (Note: the entire form must be complete prior to submitting it to IRA Headquarters.)

All in all, if we lead, develop, and endeavor, we will succeed. Start the

process of applying for the Honor Council award now. If you need help or have questions, contact your Regional Director or me. We are here to help you succeed. And, last but not least, remember these deadlines:

November 1st

IRC Hall of Fame AwardCertificate of Recognition

Barack Obama Library AwardParents and Reading Award

Illinois Reading Educator of the Year AwardThe IRC Adult & Family Literacy GrantIRA Exemplary Reading Program Award

December 1st

Council Program Speaker Grant.

Yours in Literacy,Bobbie Sejnost


A statewide literacy program that spans all generations has never existed. Until now!

I’m really proud to announce the formation of “Illinois Reads,” an exciting new program that will be formally launched next spring by the Illinois Reading Council and a host of state and local officials during ceremonies at the Old State Capitol in Springfield.

But we can’t do this without your help.

The Illinois Reads concept is a simple one. We are in the process of choosing books written solely by Illinois authors who we believe will truly engage the interests of Illinois residents from Rockford to Carbondale and from Quincy to Danville. These books will range from read-aloud books for infants to read-to books for older adults–and everything in between. As Illinois State Librarian, Jesse white has agreed to serve as Honorary Chair of the Illinois Reads Committee. Lt. Governor Sheila Simon has been invited to introduce the project at the formal launch. We have asked Michelle Obama to attend the launch ceremonies as our Illinois Book Ambassador. And we’re hopeful that President Obama will be able to announce the IRC’s annual Obama Library Award winner at the launch as well.

So where do you come in? We are looking for Illinois Reads Ambassadors who can spread the word about this great statewide effort. We hope, when the time comes next spring, you will be able to distribute our book lists and other materials to the members in your organization so they may share the joy of reading with other citizens from around the state.

For now, we are inviting you to become an Illinois Reads Ambassador by going to our website at www.IllinoisReads.org and filling out some information so we can stay in touch with you and provide you with updates as our plans progress. We also encourage you to check our website regularly because it will serve as the focal point for webinars, author interviews, book reviews, book trailers, art work, virtual community conversations and much more.

Lots of people are already on board including the Illinois State Library Literacy Office, Rotary, the Illinois Press Association, the Illinois Broadcasters Association, Scholastic Books, Floppets Toys and a host of independent bookstores across the state. We’re looking forward to having you on board too!


November 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!

Illinois ReadsBy Larry Randa, Illinois Reads Committee Member


BADGE HOLDER ............................................................$5.00 X ______ = _____________

LANYARD ..........................................................................$5.00 X ______ = _____________

LICENSE PLATE FRAME .............................................$5.00 X ______ = _____________

TOTE BAG .........................................................................$5.00 X ______ = _____________

TUMBLER ..........................................................................$5.00 X ______ = _____________

T-SHIRTS: Small..........................................................$18.00 X ______ = _____________ Medium.......................................................$18.00 X ______ = _____________ Large..........................................................$18.00 X ______ = _____________ XL..............................................................$18.00 X ______ = _____________ XXL............................................................$18.00 X ______ = _____________ XXXL..........................................................$18.00 X ______ = _____________

TOTAL DUE __________

Illinois Reads Marketplace Order Form

Make checks payable to IRC and return to:Illinois Reading Council

203 Landmark Drive, Suite BNormal, IL 61761

online at: www.illinoisreads.orgor fax to: (309) 454-3512

Name: _________________________________________________ Council: ___________________________________________

Address: ___________________________________________________________________________________________________

City: __________________________________________________ State: ____________________ Zip: __________________

Phone: _________________________________________________ Email: ____________________________________________

Thank you for supporting Illinois Reads!

Check (payable to IRC) Credit Card (Visa, MasterCard, Discover)

Signature _______________________________Credit Card Expiration Date:

Mo Yr.

Method of Payment: (Sorry, no P.O.’s accepted.)

License Plate FrameBadge Holder TumblerLanyard Tote Bag


Every year for the past 38 years, the Illinois Language and Literacy Council (ILLC) gears up for the Young Authors’ Conference (YAC) at Illinois State University in Bloomington, IL. A great deal of planning, time, and care goes into this event, and ILLC board members and conference planners sometimes wonder if the work is worth it. Yet when the last student, parent and volunteer has exited the ISU Student Union at

the end of the conference, memories of smiling children proudly displaying their written work, and echoes of young voices saying, “I am an author!” leave behind a strong determination to begin all over again for the following year.

In fact, most ILLC board members and conference planners have been working at this event for an extended time, like Dorris Aimers, ILLC Young Author Consultant, who has been an important presence for all of YAC’s 38 years! Over

the years YAC has served between 400 – 1500 K-8 students annually from across the state of Illinois.

YAC is des igned as a c e l e b r a t i o n t o h o n o r exceptional student writing and provide opportunities for children to meet published Illinois authors and illustrators,

as well as listen to their stories about the writing and illustrating processes. YAC was funded by the State of Illinois for $10,000 annually until 2010, when deep cuts were made to the state budget, including the total defunding of YAC. Although ILLC was judicious with profits from previous conferences over the years, and quickly streamlined costs when these cuts were first rumored in 2009, such measures were simply insufficient to offset this huge loss of funding. At the same time, no significant increases have been applied to participant fees to date in order to keep participation affordable. Thus, ILLC has had to dig deeply into its reserve funds to cover the costs of YAC in 2010 and 2011, and sought and received an IRC Literacy Support Grant of $2,000 to help offset the costs of the 2012 Conference. The description of the 2012 Young Authors’ Conference below provides readers with a snapshot of this exciting, statewide event.

The 2012 YAC began Friday evening, for those students, parents, and volunteers who wished to come to the Conference early to enjoy a panel discussion with Illinois authors, illustrators, and storytellers, followed by a reception hosted by the ISU Student Union Barnes & Noble Bookstore. These authors/illustrators included: Andrea Beaty, Carolyn Crimi, Keir Graff, Barb Rosenstock, Ilene Cooper, Bob Raczka, Emily Ecton, Julia Durango, Kat Falls, Marie Ringenberg, Chris Fascione, and David Finch. Students registered for the conference Saturday morning and received room assignments and a book bag with a pencil and a gold seal to place on their written stories.

Students then attended either an elementary or middle school large-group session with an author, followed by small group sessions headed by approximately 160 volunteers. The small group sessions allowed children to participate in engaging, educational experiences around writing. During these meetings they shared their stories with one another and listened to an author or illustrator discuss his/her books and writing process in depth. Following a pizza lunch, the children participated in an awards ceremony.

During the morning, the parents enjoyed listening to New York Times best selling author David Finch present : “From Young Author to Best-Seller: The Journey of a Writer.” The feedback on this presentation was highly positive, as the adults were motivated by David’s humorous, transparent account of his journey to authorship that included his own experiences as a child at the Young Author’s conference, the more recent diagnosis of Asperger syndrome, and his subsequent process to become a better husband. Parents and volunteers were overwhelmingly positive about their students’ experiences at the Conference, and long-time ILLC Young Author Conference Coordinator, Christina Podraza, a young author herself, noted that this was her favorite conference to date. For more information about the 2013 Young Authors’ Conference, visit www.illinoisreadingcouncil.org/yac.html.

Young Authors’ Conference 2012: “I am an Author!!”By Ruth E. Quiroa, ILLC Past President


November 2012 5


6 November 2012


Writing Workshop Rocks in HaitiBy Maria L. Perryman,

2012 International Grant Recipient

The Writ ing Workshop is an instructional model that views writing as an ongoing process in which students follow a given set of procedures for planning, drafting, revising, editing, and publishing their writing. The grant funding from IRC

was paramount in helping me to assist in the process of improving the over-all Literacy rate in Haiti during the week of July 15-21, 2012, through the implementation of the writing workshop process at the Charles Mason Annex Primary School in Carrefour, Haiti. The school consists of 8 staff members and grades 1st-6th with 50 students per class for a total of 300 students.

Before the conference began, it was necessary to meet with the interpreter and the school administrator to go through the procedures of the professional development. Next, I met with the teachers and gave the teachers the instructions on how to administer the writing pre-assessment to their students before the professional development began. After meeting with the teachers, the students were briefed on what to expect and why we needed their participation. Once the writing pre-assessment was over the Teacher’s Conference began with professional development for the teachers and the administrator. This was followed by the most important

piece of the writing workshop process–the architecture of a mini-lesson. Day Two of the Haiti Teacher’s Conference began with modeling the writing workshop process with the students while the teachers watched and took notes.

The students who participated in the conference will play an integral part in the writing process in September. I believe that there are famous authors in the midst of these children and I am glad for the opportunity to plant the seed of writing into each of the teachers and students who participated in the Haiti Writing Workshop Professional Development Conference! Thanks to IRC for the support in making all of this possible.

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.


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



November 2012 9

At the start of the school year, I received an email from a colleague with the subject HOW AWESOME IS THIS! He went on to write that his Superintendent had just dropped off 8 iPads to his classroom for use with his special education students. Obviously he was excited, and even though he is one of the most tech savvy teachers I know, he was overwhelmed with where to start.

It seems that many teachers now have access to iPads for use in their classrooms. Some lucky teachers, like my colleague, may have a one-to-one ratio of iPads to students, others have one to share with the entire class, and then some of us have to track down and sign out the one iPad the school has to share with the entire building or grade level. No matter how you have access…many of us have this feeling of I have an iPad–Now what?

Which leads to more questions; How do I use this in my class? What apps do I purchase? Which apps are good and FREE? When do I use it? While nothing beats having a one-on-one tutorial with an iPad Ninja, there are many websites and blogs that will give you some excellent tips and advice on all things iPad in your classroom. Here are a few of my favorites.

First things first, setting up: Visit http://www.apple.com/support/ipad/getstarted/. This site will walk you through setting up the iPad for the first time; http://ipadacademy.com/ is another great site for getting started with your iPad.

You will need a plan for how you are purchasing apps for the iPad. Here are some questions to consider:

1. Does your school have a technology person/teacher in charge of purchases? If so, have a chat with them. Do you have a budget? Can some apps be loaded on several iPads?

2. If not, how are you purchasing apps? With an iTunes gift card? Or out of your own pocket? (because as teachers...we never do that)

3. Do you have enough iPads to warrant bulk purchasing? If you have more than 5 iPads for your classroom and are in charge of purchases, contact Apple and look into this option.

After all this, you are ready for the fun stuff, downloading

apps! Most textbook companies now have apps available to support subject areas. A simple iTunes search for the publisher will give you many to choose from.

• http://www.iear.org/ For a great website that reviews educational apps and sorts them by grade level. Reviewers give examples of how the apps could be used in the classroom along with all the pros and cons associated with the app.

• http://www.apple.com/education/apps/ All things Apple. This is where you will find apps organized to specific academic areas.

• http://www.ipadinschools.com/ Just like the site’s title, excellent ideas and apps for use in the classroom.

There are many other resources out there. This is just a start to the plethora of information available to you. Start small and slowly branch out. And most importantly HAVE FUN!

I have an iPad–Now what?By Stephanie Benson, IRC Technology Committee Member

The Illinois Language and Literacy Council and the Illinois Reading Council

will co-sponsor the

39th AnnualYoung Authors Conference

May 18, 2013at Illinois State University, Normal, Illinois.

The 2013 Guidelines and Registration packets are available in November.

Please visit the IRC Website at www.illinoisreadingcouncil.org for more

information. If you are interested in volunteering, please contact Christina

Podraza at [email protected].


Check (payable to IRC)

METHOD OF PAYMENT (Sorry, no P.O.’s accepted!)

Return this form with payment to:Illinois Reading Council

203 Landmark Drive, Suite BNormal, IL 61761

Or fax to: (309) 454-3512Or register online at

www.illinoisreadingcouncil.org

Credit Card (Visa, MasterCard, Discover)

Special Accommodations – Individuals who need special accommodations must make specific requests in writing to the IRC office at least three weeks prior to the conference. Cancelation/Refund Policy – Requests must be made in writing by March 1, 2013. Please see the complete policy under General Conference Information or at the IRC Website. Unless notified in writing, this registration constitutes an agreement that the registrant’s image, likeness, and appearance can be used in photographs of such events and activities.

2013 IRC ConferenceRegistration Form

March 14-16, 2013 Springfield, Illinois

ONE NAME ON EACH FORM Please print or type. Form may be reproduced.

Name (Last)________________________________________ (First)____________________________________________________

School/Business_____________________________________ City_____________________________________________________

Home Address_________________________________________________________________________________________________

City_______________________________________________ State_____________________ Zip____________________________

Home Telephone ( ) _____________________________ Business Telephone ( ) _________________________________

Email ___________________________________________________________________ Presenting at Conference? ___Yes ___ No

Are you an IRC member? ___Yes ___No Council Affiliation _____________________ Are you an IRA member? ___Yes ___ No

REGISTRATION includes meetings on Thursday, Friday, and Saturday. On or Before February 1, 2013 After February 1, 2013

____IRC Member (Membership Number ___________________________________) $150 $175

____Retiree (Member) ____Preservice Teacher with ID (Member) $25 $50

____Non-Member (If you join now with your conference registration, register as a member!) $225 $250

____Retiree (Non-Member) ____Preservice Teacher with ID (Non-Member) $50 $75

MEALS Meals are optional. Mark choice of menu. Include payment with registration.____Thursday Breakfast (A. Lincoln) . . . . . . . . . . . .. . . . . . . Neal Shusterman $18 $23 _____Scrambled Eggs & Bacon _____Vegetarian____Thursday Luncheon (A. Lincoln) . . . . . . . . . . . . .. . . . . . Jeff Anderson $22 $27 _____Chef Salad with Ham & Turkey _____Vegetarian Salad with Chickpeas ____Thursday Luncheon (Hilton) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. . . . . Sharon M. Draper $22 $27 _____Pesto Chicken Tortellini _____Pesto Tortellini ____Thursday Prairie State Award Banquet (A. Lincoln) . . . Richard Peck $30 $35 _____Chicken Marsala _____Vegetarian

____Friday Breakfast (A. Lincoln) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. . . . . Jordan Sonnenblick $18 $23 _____Cinnamon French Toast _____Vegetarian ____Friday Luncheon (A. Lincoln) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Steven L. Layne $22 $27 _____Grilled Chicken Club _____Vegetarian _____Fried Walleye Sandwich ____Friday Luncheon (Hilton) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Linda Hoyt $22 $27 _____Trio of Salads _____Vegetarian ____Friday Night Pizza Party for Preservice Teachers Only! FREE FREE

____Friday Banquet (A. Lincoln) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Katherine Paterson $30 $35 _____Stuffed Pork Loin _____Vegetarian _____Tilapia with Butter Sauce____Friday Night Entertainment Event (Hilton) . . . . . . . . . . Adventure Stage Theatre $10 $15

____Saturday Breakfast (A. Lincoln) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Kelly Gallagher $18 $23 _____Three Cheese Omelet _____Vegetarian____Saturday Author Luncheon (Hilton) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Rosemary Wells $25 $30 _____Mama’s Meatloaf _____Vegetarian

TOTAL AMOUNT ENCLOSED $_____________ $_____________

Credit Card Expiration DateSignature ________________________________________

Mo. Yr.

• Housing Reservations will only be processed online with a credit card until February 20, 2013. After February 20th, all rooms that have not been reserved will be released for general sale.

• Advance Deposit of one night’s room and tax will be charged to your credit card by some of the hotels. If you would like to pay by check, please forward your deposit check to your assigned hotel and your credit card will be credited. Do not send any checks to the Illinois Reading Council or the Springfield Housing Bureau.

• Confirmation will be emailed to you from the Housing Bureau upon completion of your housing reservation, as well as any changes or cancelations. Please keep this email for your records and watch for 2nd email from hotel after February 20th.

• Cancelations or changes to your arrival/departure must be made before February 20, 2013 to receive a full refund. The advance deposit charge is non-refundable after February 20, 2013. Please note that some hotels charge for early departure and some require a two-night minimum stay. After February 20th, please make changes directly with the hotel.

• Double Rooms (2 beds) are at a premium. Please do not reserve a double room (2 beds) unless there are 2 or more attendees.

• Free Shuttle Service will be provided by the IRC between all the hotels except the on-site hotels listed and the Prairie Capital Convention Center on Thursday and Friday. Shuttles run approximately every 45-60 minutes from 6:15 a.m. until 6:00 p.m. Night shuttles run every 90 minutes from 6:15 p.m. until 10:30 p.m. On Saturday, there are many parking options available and on-street metered parking is FREE!


Over 1,200 rooms have been reserved for the 2013 IRC Conference. Because of the large number of rooms needed each year, IRC utilizes the assistance of the Housing Bureau at the Springfield Convention and Visitors Bureau. Special room rates have been negotiated at the hotels/motels listed below. To obtain these special rates, reservations must be made through the Online Housing Reservation System by February 20, 2013.

Go to www.illinoisreadingcouncil.orgSelect Conference on the menu,

then click on Reserve Housing Online!

President Abraham Lincoln Hotel.........$107 701 East Adams St., Spfd., IL 62701 Located adjacent to the Convention Center

Hilton Springfield Hotel...................$121 700 East Adams St., Spfd., IL 62701 Across the street from the Convention Center

Meetings and meal functions are held at both the Abraham Lincoln and the Hilton Hotels.

ON-SITE HOTELS

Candlewood Suites..................................$70 2501 Sunrise Drive, Spfd., IL 62703

Crowne Plaza..........................................$132 3000 S. Dirksen Parkway, Spfd., IL 62703

Comfort Suites.........................................$99 2620 S. Dirksen Parkway, Spfd., IL 62703

Drury Inn & Suites..................................$107 3180 S. Dirksen Parkway, Spfd., IL 62703

Hampton Inn East............................$105 3185 S. Dirksen Parkway, Spfd., IL 62703

Hilton Garden Inn............................$109 3100 S. Dirksen Parkway, Spfd. IL 62703

Holiday Inn Express.........................$112 3050 S. Dirksen Parkway, Spfd. IL 62703

Microtel Inn & Suites.......................$86 2636 Sunrise Drive, Spfd. IL 62703

Northfield Inn..........................................$83 3280 Northfield Dr., Spfd., IL 62702

MOTELS NORTHEAST OF DOWNTOWN

MOTELS SOUTHEAST OF DOWNTOWN

Ramada Springfield North..............$84 3281 Northfield Dr., Spfd., IL 62702

Illinois Reading Council

ONLINE HOUSING RESERVATION SYSTEMConference Dates – Thursday, March 14; Friday, March 15; and Saturday, March 16, 2013

• Housing Reservations will only be processed online with a credit card until February 20, 2013. After February 20th, all rooms that have not been reserved will be released for general sale.

• Advance Deposit of one night’s room and tax will be charged to your credit card by some of the hotels. If you would like to pay by check, please forward your deposit check to your assigned hotel and your credit card will be credited. Do not send any checks to the Illinois Reading Council or the Springfield Housing Bureau.

• Confirmation will be emailed to you from the Housing Bureau upon completion of your housing reservation, as well as any changes or cancelations. Please keep this email for your records and watch for 2nd email from hotel after February 20th.

• Cancelations or changes to your arrival/departure must be made before February 20, 2013 to receive a full refund. The advance deposit charge is non-refundable after February 20, 2013. Please note that some hotels charge for early departure and some require a two-night minimum stay. After February 20th, please make changes directly with the hotel.

• Double Rooms (2 beds) are at a premium. Please do not reserve a double room (2 beds) unless there are 2 or more attendees.

• Free Shuttle Service will be provided by the IRC between all the hotels except the on-site hotels listed and the Prairie Capital Convention Center on Thursday and Friday. Shuttles run approximately every 45-60 minutes from 6:15 a.m. until 6:00 p.m. Night shuttles run every 90 minutes from 6:15 p.m. until 10:30 p.m. On Saturday, there are many parking options available and on-street metered parking is FREE!


The Studies and Research C o m m i t t e e c o n t i n u e s building its network of IRC members engaged in research by introducing readers to another member and her project. Meet Stephanie McAndrews. Stephanie is a past president of both CIRP and her local Lewis and Clark Reading Council. Stephanie, who is now in her thirteenth

year at Southern Illinois University-Edwardsville, comes to Illinois from Arizona. She earned her BA in Elementary Education, and MA and PhD in Reading, Language and Culture from the University of Arizona.

At SIUE, Stephanie’s primary responsibility is as literacy program director. She directs the literacy clinic and predominantly spends her time preparing graduate students to become reading specialists. The project Stephanie wanted us to focus on involves looking at how her students transfer the knowledge and theories they are acquiring in her courses to their actual practice as reading teachers and specialists. She is particularly focused on finding out which of her students have become transformative leaders who effect changes in their schools. Have they become teachers who carefully select, develop and use diagnostic assessments and instructional strategies to meet the needs of individual students? Have they volunteered to participate in curriculum or leadership committees and have some voice in choosing the materials and assessments used in their schools? Are they persuading their schools to use assessments that focus on comprehension and writing composition, rather than isolated one-minute drill such as DIBELS or AIMSweb? Do they support their colleagues in professional development that leads to improved student thinking and learning? The data she collects include interviews of her graduate students during their graduate work and afterwards. She also selects several teachers to follow more closely and conducts observations and videos of their instruction.

So far Stephanie has found that almost every graduate has

“Video analysis of teaching … is

probably one of the most powerful tools

we have.”

Meet an IRC ResearcherBy Elizabeth Goldsmith-Conley, IRC Studies and Research Committee Chair

demonstrated that they have transferred what they have learned from the graduate literacy program to their own teaching. Up to this point about 15% of her graduate students have become transformative leaders. Only about 5% of the graduates did not significantly change their practice based on what they learned during the program. Perhaps unsurprisingly, the teachers who effect the most change are those who have tenure or have been teaching at least 6 years. This may be because these teachers feel freer to openly question current practices. Stephanie’s research should be of real interest to other teacher educators and administrators and to people involved in staff development and professional development. Her tips to these people are as follows:

1. Support teachers to think about their own practice and student learning using metacognition.

2. Have them design and analyze surveys that ask their colleagues’ opinions and concerns about topics such as assessment, instruction, and strategies. 3. Involve colleagues in designing longer term professional growth plans for literacy areas such as reading, writing, speaking, listening, viewing and visually representing within and between grade levels, and family literacy. 4. Involve them in on-going workshops and book studies focused on a single or

narrow set of goals, rather than one session in-services. 5. Involve them in making videos of their teaching,

debriefing the lessons, and then analyzing what they have done to enhance instruction in the future. (“Video analysis of teaching,” Stephanie says, “ is probably one of the most powerful tools we have.”)

Stephanie is not only committed to understanding how best to help her own graduate students become effective teachers but she is constantly examining her own practices and sharing reflections with her colleagues. She and other literacy professor colleagues Skype once a month to talk about what they’re doing and how they can improve their practice. She is the author of the IRA published Diagnostic Literacy Assessment and Instructional Strategies book, as well as several book chapters and articles on literacy. Stephanie welcomes others who are interested in these issues to contact her at [email protected].

12 November 2012



Illinois Council for Affective Reading Education

GENE CRAMER ICARE FOR READING AWARDNOMINATION FORM

The Illinois Council for Affective Reading Education (ICARE) is accepting nominations for the annual Gene Cramer ICARE for Reading Award. This award was renamed in 2008 to honor Gene Cramer, the founder of ICARE. ICARE recognizes the importance of educators in modeling the love of reading and the printed word for today’s students who are constantly presented with a vast array of other media. Thus, the purpose of the Gene Cramer ICARE for Reading Award is to honor an educator who has performed in an outstanding manner to show concern for the affective domain and who has promoted lifelong reading habits among students. The award is given annually at the March meeting of ICARE to be held in conjunction with the Illinois Reading Council conference in Springfield.

PROCEDURE

1. Inform IRC members of the award. (Note: The person nominated NEED NOT be a member of IRC.)2. Distribute Gene Cramer ICARE for Reading Award forms. 3. Return form by January 1, 2013 to Donna Monti, ICARE President-Elect, 224 Judson Avenue, Oswego, Illinois

60543 or attach to an email and send to [email protected]. 4. The winner, after careful consideration, will be informed by February 1, 2013.5. The award will be presented at the IRC Conference in March 2013. If the award is presented at a meal function, ICARE

will pay for the recipient’s meal as well as four guests. ICARE will not, however, pay any other additional fees such as conference attendance fees, hotel, mileage, etc.

CRITERIA

1. Educator in good standing in the profession.2. Educator who contributes to the spread of the joy of reading and promotes reading habits among students.3. Educator who serves as an exemplary model for others in promoting the affective domain of reading.4. Educator recommended for the award by other educators.

CANDIDATE FOR NOMINATION

Name ______________________________________________ Position ____________________________

Address ______________________________________________ Phone ______________________________

REASONS FOR NOMINATION

On a separate sheet of paper, please submit your reasons for nominating this educator and attach it to this form. Provide specific details that illustrate your nominee’s qualifications.

NOMINATOR

Name ______________________________________________ Position ____________________________

Address ______________________________________________ Phone ______________________________

Thank you for helping ICARE circulate the message about this award. Please feel free to make copies for your colleagues. We are confident that your enthusiasm and participation in this program will help ICARE and IRC foster the love of reading among all our children here in Illinois.

Return form by January 1, 2013 to Donna Monti, ICARE President-Elect, 224 Judson Avenue, Oswego, Illinois 60543 or attach to an e-mail and send to [email protected].


14 November 2012


“LITERACY FOR LIFE”

Illinois Reading Council Conference

March 2013

Sun Mon Tue Wed Thu Fri Sat

1 2

3 4 5 6 7 8 9

10 11 12 13 14 15 16

17 18 19 20 21 22 23

24 25 26 27 28 29 30

LITERACY FOR LIFEILLINOIS READING COUNCIL CONFERENCE

Thursday breakfast with Neal ShustermanFeaturing student artwork

Thursday lunch with Jeff AndersonFeaturing the Write Guy

Thursday lunch with Sharon M. DraperFeaturing student artwork

Authors Reader’s Theatre withAvi, Richard Peck, Sarah Weeks,

Pam Muñoz Ryan

Prairie State Award Banquet Featuring Richard Peck &

Award Winner Eric Rohmann

Friday breakfast with Jordan SonnenblickFeaturing student artwork

Friday lunch with Steve L. Layne With Judson University’s Readers’ Theatre

Friday lunch with Linda Hoyt With special guest Seymour Simon

Friday dinner with Katherine PatersonFeaturing Springfield “Strings”

ADVENTURE STAGE CHICAGOTheatre Production of “Six Stories Tall”

Saturday Sapphire CelebrationWith Kelly Gallagher and a

45 Year IRC History Celebration

Saturday Lunch with Rosemary Wells A” Ruby and Max” Party

With a Static Sticker Jamboree

Newspapers In EducationBy Leslie Forsman, NIE Co-Chair

Whether you are fortunate enough to receive classroom sets of the newspaper, online edition access, or you simply bring in the daily newspaper, the newspaper can be a helpful tool for many classroom activities.

As we move closer to testing via the Common Core Standards, we need to acquaint our students and ourselves with the standards. Here are a couple of activities using the standards and newspapers in your classrooms.

CCRA L4 states: ”Determine or clarify the meaning of unknown and multiple meaning words or phrases by using context clues, analyzing meaningful word parts, and consulting general and specialized reference materials as appropriate.”

You can select an article (or let the students select their own articles) from the newspapers to read. Ask the students to highlight/underline/cut out words or phrases they do not know. Ask the students to highlight (in a different color) words or phrases that have multiple meanings.

Then ask the students to “read on” or ”read back” to understand the meanings, or to use reference sources to gain understanding. The students can then share their selections and the meanings.

CCRA SL4 states: “Present information, findings, and supporting evidence such that listeners can follow the line of reasoning and the organization, development, and style are appropriate to task, purpose, and audience.”

The students can select an article to read, summarize and present to their classmates. The students should keep chronological information in the correct order and adjust the vocabulary to suit their audience. This activity can also be used to assist with differentiated learning classrooms, and with students with varied learning abilities.

If you have favorite newspaper activities, please contact the Newspapers In Education committee to share them. Happy reading!



November 2012 15

Getting Books into Little HandsBy Mal Keenan

“Don’t ask what the world needs. Ask what makes you come alive and go do it. Because what the world needs is people who have come alive.” ~Howard Thurman One of the goals of A to Z Literacy Movement is to ship books to vulnerable children in impoverished communities. We have sent thousands of books to schools, Peace Corps volunteers, camps for kids, and orphan homes. Thanks to generous donations from people who believe in our mission, we now have plenty of high quality books to send. The process isn’t complicated. A to Z volunteers gather books – picture books, easy readers, nonfiction, and chapter books. We sift and sort through them, deciding what’s appropriate for kids in Africa and what books will remain in the states for kids needing books locally. After being carefully sorted, the books are boxed and prepared for shipping. The boxes of children’s books are brought to the post office, where patient USPS employees like Linda spend a minimum of forty-five minutes weighing the boxes, processing the forms, and putting each box into an M-Bag. (Yes, I’m the person you don’t want to be standing behind in line.) On Monday, we spent almost five hours at Every Orphan’s Hope office unpacking the books we sent earlier in the year. It was a wonderful experience going through the books once again, commenting on books we love, talking about favorite authors, and discussing how certain books have moved us. Six hundred eighteen books were numbered and catalogued for the seven (soon to be eight) orphan homes in Chongwe, ready for check out, ready to be enjoyed by children.

How I Know I’m Not in Crystal Lake, Illinois?

By Anastasia Gruper

People walking outnumber the people driving.I am perplexed and amazed at the weight people are able to carry on their heads.A rooster and I compete to be the first one to see the sun rise.I stand in awe of one of the Seven Wonders of the World while being drenched.I plan by headlamp every night while the power is out.A power outage is a celebration of the night sky.My bright white legs look tan from the dirt embedded in my skin.It takes me an extra five minutes to figure out how much everyone owes for the dinner that costs 2,553.00 Kwacha.There are no strollers to be seen; chitenge anyone?Speed bumps appear out of nowhere…Nshima makes a delicious utensil for picking up other parts of my meal.Morning tea is not an option; no matter what, everything else can wait.Old tires make great toys.AM and PM do not exist; it is 14:33.100km is an average speed on the highway as opposed to 2km in the compound alleys.Wi-Fi is a luxury; a means of communication rather than entertainment.It is not necessary to eat and move at the speed of lightning; everything will get done whenever it does, relax…A routine police check point is a time for pleasantries.The cow on the side of the road may be saying, “After you madam.”

A to Z Literacy MovementBy Mal Keenan, Anastasia Gruper, Kalan Gott, Ann Yanchura, and Mariann Zimmerman

What do you get when three literacy coaches, an administrator, and a special education teacher board a plane and travel to Zambia, Africa? A dynamic team! These dedicated women worked hard to promote the love of reading and to increase literacy skills in three small community schools as part of the A to Z Literacy Movement project. While out of the country, Ann Yanchura, Mariann Zimmerman, Kalan Gott, Anastasia Gruper, and Mal Keenan blogged to keep friends, family, and co-workers updated on their work and to share stories of teaching in Africa. Here are a few of the favorite blog entries.

Continued on page 16


16 November 2012


True or FalseBy Kalan Gott

True or False? A 16-inch jump rope can light up the life of a child more than any iPod or cell phone. True or False? Six women and two men with associates degrees can run a school for 260 students on $1 per student per day. True or False? A group of

5 women from the U.S can plan to inspire and influence the lives of Zambian students and instead find themselves inspired and influenced. Today Anastasia and I taught a lesson on fiction and non-fiction using true and false to introduce the vocabulary. While teaching the lesson I started thinking about true and false situations in life. The fiction and non-fiction we live every day. I know today that I feel like I am in a story. A make believe place where children only get one meal a day. But the truth is this world is real. This life is non-fiction. A political, social, cultural story leaping off of the page and into my heart. This world is real, fact, truth, and it is hard and beautiful all at once.

When You Think You’ve Seen It AllBy Ann Yanchura

Children are walking to school in the morning – often in the dark – in bare feet. Thirty-one third graders sit in a classroom that has two benches, a half dozen tiny chairs, and a wooden pallet for seating. Mothers take turns cooking rice or maize over a fire for 260 students every day so that they have a meal. 30 parents come to school daily for 3 hours after the children have gone home so that they, too, can learn to read and write. Children take turns using a pencil because

they don’t have their own, and they sharpen them with an old razor blade. Younger brothers and sisters help scavenge at the roadside dump to find useful things for their families. Teachers walk 45 minutes to school every day over a route that

includes walking on the side of a terribly busy road with no sidewalk and then along a dirt road that is dusty in the dry season and flooded in the rainy season. Then these very same children and teachers spend hours together at these schools without enough seats or books or pencils or food. And still they smile and study and hug complete strangers who come to visit. The children are hard working, well mannered, and cheerful. The teachers are committed and caring, strict and challenging. I can’t explain it, but I feel honored to be a part of this. I can’t tell you how many times adults and children at these schools have shaken my hand or hugged me while saying, “YOU ARE WELCOME HERE.”

Sharing the Love of LiteracyBy Mariann Zimmerman

Several of the lessons I t a u g h t a t S h i n e i n v o l v e d m o d e l i n g a read aloud and then having the students write about it. For a couple of the lessons, I used Mercer Mayer’s book All By Myself. This lesson was difficult to present and to get the students to participate because they are rarely given the opportunity to share their own thoughts. They are usually repeating, copying, or retelling. With the help of the Shine teachers translating, anchor charts, and my own completed example, the students were able to successfully complete their own page telling about what they can do all by themselves. I turned their work into class books which I presented to the librarian Naomi on our last day at Shine. She was amazed with the students’ beautiful work and I learned that most of the students are talented artists. Because they don’t watch TV, some children spend a great deal of time drawing. Naomi learned that this was a great activity to do with the students during library time and it would help link the reading and writing. She is also going to keep the books in the library for the students to read each day. Hopefully, when we return next year, we will see a new section in the library dedicated to student made books.

A to Z Movement continued from page 15



November 2012 17

Early Childhood Literacy: The National Early Literacy Panel and Beyond

Written by Timothy Shanahan, Christopher Lonigan Brookes Publishing September 2012Category: Professional Ages: Adult

The Great DivideWritten by Suzanne Slade suzanneslade.comIllustrated by Erin E. HunterSylvan Dell Publishing February 2012Category: Picture Book Ages: 4-9

The House That George BuiltWritten by Suzanne Slade suzanneslade.comIllustrated by Rebecca BondCharlesbridge July 2012Category: Picture Book Ages: 4-9

CornjerkersWritten by David A. Theobald Black Rose Writing June 2012Category: Historical Ficton Ages: 10 and up

Stay With SisterWritten by Steven L. Layne stevelayne.comIllustrated by Ard HoytPelican Publishing February 2012Category: Picture Book Grades: K and upBig Brother finds out that not all babies are the same. Big Brother learns that not all little siblings are the same when his parents bring home a baby girl. He thinks he learned all about babies when Little Brother was small. However, Sister is very different. Other things are different too. Big Brother is old enough now to help keep an eye on the baby when Mommy and Daddy are busy and watching after Sister is not as easy as it sounds. But despite all the trouble she causes, Sister finds her way into Brother’s heart, and that is where she will stay.

Rachel Carson and Her Book That Changed the World

Written by Laurie Lawlor laurielawlor.comIllustrated by Laura BeingessnerHoliday House February 2012Category: Picture Book Ages: 6-10

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.

February 2013 IRC Communicator

and Illinois Authors’ Corner deadline for submissions is

December 1, 2012!

Membership dues are increasing to $45 as of January 1, 2013. Renew by the end of December and your membership will extend a year from your current expiration date. Download a membership form or join online at the IRC website at www.illinoisreadingcouncil.org.


Cool Studies: The Sacred CowBy Lou Ferroli

Continued on page 19

“He questioned the idea that poor readers need

easy materials, calling the construct of instructional

reading level a ‘sacred cow’ which should be

made into hamburger.”

18 November 2012


I’m reading one of our field’s fine practitioner journals, the fall, 2012, issue of the Illinois Reading Council Journal. One of the articles referenced a study in which 2nd-graders taught with 4th- and 6th-grade texts (their frustration levels) made more gains than classmates who worked with instructional level texts. I found that shocking. After my initial reaction, I began to recall my own experiences with stretching instructional level.

A fourth-grader moved to our school. It was my job to identify his reading level and report to the principal so he could decide on a classroom assignment. It went something like this. “So, Mr. L., looks like the new guy reads at a 2nd-grade level. We have a group at that level in Ms. Meets’s class.”

Tom says, “Darn it. The class sizes are getting a little uneven. I was hoping you were going to tell me he could go into Ms. Exceeds’s class.”

“O-o-o-o. Ms. Exceeds, eh? We can put him there.”

“But Ms. Exceeds has a 3rd-grade level group. I thought you said the new guy has a second grade instructional level.”

“He does, if he’s in Ms. Meets’s class. With Ms. Exceeds, he can handle third.”

But Tom is careful about these things. “Are you sure?” he asks. “That’s a difference of a year.”

“Sir, it’s not a difference of a year. It’s a difference of a teacher.”

The IRCJ article explained, “… there are three variables, not two. The relationship between student proficiency and text difficulty is important in the learning equation, but so are the amount and quality of teacher scaffolding and mediation.” I knew back then that Ms. Exceeds would provide exceptional instructional support. The new guy could handle a more challenging text.

In spite of my recollections about the malleability of the instructional level, I began to have nightmares about second-graders being force-fed 6th-grade basal texts. Not even Ms. Exceeds could pull that off. It was time to dig a little deeper.

The study by Morgan, Wilcox, & Eldredge (2000) extended mid-1980’s research by Eldredge who wanted to get away from the then-common practice of assigning poor readers to low groups. He questioned the idea that poor readers need easy materials, calling the construct of instructional reading level a “sacred cow” which should be made into hamburger. His research showed that the Dyad Reading procedure used hard material successfully with delayed

readers. The purpose, then, for the Morgan, Wilcox, and Eldredge study was to push the envelope. How far can this go? “Is there a point at which the level of difficulty of the text hinders progress?”

Delayed readers from six 2nd-grade classrooms were identified by their teachers and confirmed by using an informal reading inventory (IRI). Reading levels of these 51 subjects were nonreader, preprimer, and primer, the levels that span the first

half of first grade.

The kids were then randomly assigned to three groups. They did Dyad Reading at their instructional level (Group 1), two grades above their level (Group 2), and four grades above their level (Group 3). When a study uses different levels of treatment and randomly assigns subjects to groups, it is known as a “true experiment,” the best design for establishing cause and effect. It’s rare in school-based research and very cool.

Group 1 read books with readabilities that ranged from 1.0 to 1.3. Group 2’s books ranged from 1.9 to 3.3. Group 3’s were 3.8 to 5.4. So, they weren’t really instructed with 2nd, 4th, and 6th grade texts. The actual levels were considerably lower but still quite a stretch for these delayed readers.



November 2012 19

In the Dyad procedure, the delayed (“assisted”) reader is matched with a classmate (“lead reader”) who is able to read the assigned material. They share one book and read in unison with the lead reader setting the pace. The lead reader touches “each word as it is read while the assisted reader tries to read aloud with the lead reader. The assisted reader must look at each word as it is read.” They did Dyad Reading for 15 minutes every day for the entire second semester.

The study used two measures. An IRI measured reading level. They also used an assessment from one of their previous studies. It had subjects reading orally from a children’s book with a readability of 1.9. This resulted in scores of word recognition, comprehension, and rate.

The IRI reading gain score showed that all three groups improved over the course of the study. That was expected. The interesting finding was that Group 2, which read books two levels above, gained significantly more than Group 1, which read books at their instructional level. Harder texts got better results.

A curious finding was that the advantage for Group 2 in reading level gain did not show up in word recognition or comprehension or rate. There were no significant differences. Group 2’s scores were just a little higher than the others’. Groups 1 and 3 had nearly identical scores.

As clean as this experimental design is, it was far from perfect. They measured reading level gain with an IRI, an excellent instrument for understanding readers’ processes but notoriously low in reliability because IRI’s require judgment in scoring on the part of the examiner. Even Burns and Roe, authors of the IRI used in this study, warn us: “The informal reading inventory must be viewed as a sampling procedure designed to give the teacher some guidance in choosing instructional strategies. Perfect precision is rarely available.” Another problem is that the measures were administered by the researchers themselves. In the best research designs, tests are administered by independent parties who do not know to which groups the participants belong. In this study the only measure on which a difference was found is the one that involves the greatest amount of scorer judgment. This problem doesn’t make me disbelieve the results, but I’m less than convinced.

Maybe it is true that kids who read harder text gain more than the kids reading at instructional level. Maybe it is true that “instructional reading level” is nothing more than a sacred cow, and kids do well with more challenging and even “frustration level” text.

Another interpretation of the results has to do with the fact that Dyad Reading provides an extremely high level of support. The kids were working one-on-one with a lead reader who was reading the text to the delayed reader. That’s a heck of a lot of support!

Imagine the teacher support variable on a continuum. At the low end, Ms. Doesnotmeet doesn’t help much. “Kids, look up the vocabulary words. Then read pages 83 to 95 at your desks. Be ready to talk about it later.” Toward the middle Ms. Meets helps her readers through vocabulary introductions, developing background and motivation for

the selection, and setting purposes for the reading. At the high end of the teacher support continuum Ms. Exceeds does the same but does it with fewer students at a time. And maybe the text is read in segments with some discussion for additional support. And way, way out there at the very end of the support continuum is Dyad Reading, working one-on-one with a teacher who is helping with each and every single word. Like I said, that’s a heck of a lot of support.

The results of the Morgan, Wilcox, and Eldredge study, if I believe them, are relevant in the debate about text levels. That Group 1, working at level, didn’t gain much says that if you’re going to provide a high degree of support more challenging text should be used. The fact that Group 2 had the largest reading level gain tells me that using really tough text successfully is possible when we can give plenty of help. And that the group using the most challenging material didn’t do so well answers the researchers’ question: “Is there a point at which the level of difficulty of the text hinders progress?” The answer is yes; at some point challenging text hinders progress. The sacred cow isn’t hamburger yet.

You can find the study at Morgan, A., Wilcox, B., & Eldredge, J. (2000). Effect of difficulty levels on second-grade delayed readers using dyad reading. Journal of Educational Research, 94, 113-119.

Cool Studies continued from page 18

“… using the most challenging materials

… is there a point at which the level of difficulty of the text

hinders progress? The answer is …”


Illinois Reading Council203 Landmark Drive, Suite BNormal, IL 61761

Non-Profit Org.US Postage

PAIDPermit No. 800Springfield, IL

Congratulations to Eric Rohmann, the2013 Prairie State Award Winner!

IRC is proud to announce that Eric Rohmann is the 2013 recipient of the Prairie State Award for Excellence in Writing for Children. Eric is well-known as an illustrator and author of books for young children. His gift is hearing the world in pictures. And he has the unique ability to translate these pictures into fascinating and engaging stories as Time Flies, My Friend Rabbit, Pumpkinhead, A Kitten Tale, Bone Dog, and The Cinder-Eyed Cats.

His book Time Flies received a Caldecott Honor award in 1999 and was named a New York Times Notable Book of the Year. Eric was also awarded the Caldecott Medal in 2003 for My Friend Rabbit. Eric writes, “I make books for kids because they are the best audience: children are curious, enthusiastic, impulsive, generous and pleased by simple joys. They laugh easily at the ridicules and are willing to believe the absurd. Children are not ironic, disillusioned or indifferent, but hopeful, open-minded and openhearted, with a voracious hunger for pictures.” Plan now to congratulate Eric at the Thursday evening Prairie State Award banquet at the 2013 Illinois Reading Council Conference in March.


Documents

November 2012 IRC Communicator