National Literacy & Library Events ▬ May 2021

 

National Literacy & Library Events

May 2021

 

Literacy & Library Events & Conferences

Events-National & International Events

Events-International: Language Magazine

 

Get Caught Reading Month

Latino Books Month

Short Story Month

May 01      Choose Privacy Week
May 03      Children's Book Week
May 03      Teacher Appreciation Week
May 04      Teacher Appreciation Day

May 07      Urban Librarians Conference VIRTUAL

May 18      International Museum Day
May 18      World Voices Festival of International Literature VIRTUAL
May 25      Health Literacy Conference IHA VIRTUAL

May 25      Inaugural U.S. Book Show VIRTUAL

State Library Associations :: Conferences

African American Book Events

Book Fairs by State Library of Congress

Children’s Book Council Kid Lit Events

College Children’s & Young Adult Literature Conferences Festivals

Everfest Book Festival Calendar

ILA :: Literacy Calendar Worldwide

Storytelling Events

US Book Festivals

 

 

Ten Myths About Learning to Read ▬ SEDL

Ten Myths About Learning to Read

SEDL: Dec 2002 by Sebastian Wren

Myth #1:
Learning to read is a natural process

Literacy Skills

It has long been argued that learning to read, like learning to understand spoken language, is a natural phenomenon. It has often been suggested that children will learn to read if they are simply immersed in a literacy-rich environment and allowed to develop literacy skills in their own way. This belief that learning to read is a natural process that comes from rich text experiences is surprisingly prevalent in education despite the fact that learning to read is about as natural as learning to juggle blindfolded while riding a unicycle backwards. Simply put, learning to read is not only unnatural, it is just about the most unnatural thing humans do.

Myth #2:
Children will eventually learn to read if given enough time

This is arguably the second most pernicious myth, and it is closely related to the first.

🔽
Research has revealed an extremely dangerous phenomenon that has been dubbed the "Matthew Effect." [Children of the Code] The term comes from the line in the Bible that essentially says that the rich get richer and the poor get poorer. That certainly describes what happens as children enter school and begin learning literacy skills. Over time, the gap between children who have well developed literacy skills and those who do not gets wider and wider.

Myth #3:
Reading programs are "successful"

It is extremely common for schools to buy a reading program to address their reading instruction needs, and trust that the program will solve their school's literacy issues. Typically these programs require a great deal of commitment from the school, both in terms of time and money.

However, while reading programs can be "useful," no reading program has ever been shown to be truly "successful" — not with all children, all teachers, and all cultures. And no reading program has been shown to accelerate all children to advanced levels of performance.

Myth #4:
We used to do a better job of teaching children to read

As the song goes, "The good old days weren't always so good." We have, in fact, never done a better job of teaching children to read than we do today. The bad news is, we've never really done a worse job either. We are basically just as successful today as we have always been (which is to say, not very successful).

Nothing illustrates this better than the National Assessment of Educational Progress (the NAEP). This assessment has been given to children across the country aged nine, thirteen, and seventeen since 1970. Student performance at those three age levels has not changed substantially in over 30 years — consistently, depending on the age tested, between 24% and 39% of students have scored in the "below basic" category, and between three and seven percent have scored in the "advanced" category. Other investigations have found that literacy rates have not really changed in this country since World War II, and some studies suggest that literacy rates were actually worse before the war

Myth #5:
Skilled reading involves using syntactic and semantic cues to "guess" words, and good readers make many "mistakes" as they read authentic text

Research indicates that both of these claims are quite wrong, but both are surprisingly pervasive in reading instruction. The idea that good readers use contextual cues to guess words in running text comes from a method of assessment developed by Ken Goodman that he called "miscue analysis." For his dissertation, Goodman examined the types of mistakes that young readers make and drew inferences about the strategies they employ as they read. He noticed that the children in his studies very often made errors as they read, but many of these errors did not change the meaning of the text (like misreading "rabbit" as "bunny"). He surmised the reason must be that good readers depend on context to predict upcoming words in passages of text. He further suggested that for good readers, these contextual cues are so important that the reader needs only occasionally to "sample" from the text—that is, look at a few of the words on the page—to confirm the predictions. Children who struggle to sound out words, Goodman says, are overdependant on letter and word cues and should learn to pay more attention to the semantic and syntactic cues.

Goodman's model, which eventually gave rise to the "Three Cueing Systems" [literacyspace] model of word recognition, is extremely influential in reading instruction, but has never been supported by research evidence.  READ MORE ➤➤

 

Automatic Readability Checker

Based on 7 readability formulas:

Grade Level: 13

Reading Level: fairly difficult to read.

Reader's Age: 18-19 yrs. old

(college level entry)

Literacy ▬ Spanning the US :: Chatham VA :: Gulfport MS :: Jacksonville NC

Literacy In The News :: Spanning the US

@PittsylvaniaLib

Library Makes Stride To Counteract Pittsylvania County's 15 Percent Illiteracy Rate
Chatham Star Tribune: 4.07.2021

The Pittsylvania County Public Library is happy to announce the addition of a new collection of Quick Read books to its shelves.

These short, adult focused, books are designed to address a variety of reader needs such as larger print, less complex sentences, English Language Learner accessibility and support for any adults working to improve their reading and literacy skills.

Quick Reads are also ideal for busy adults who may have gotten out of the habit of reading and are looking for something entertaining but easy to pick up. The books include popular authors such as James Patterson and offer a variety of fiction styles.

Pittsylvania County
Literacy Program

The inspiration for adding the collection was to provide support for the Pittsylvania County Literacy Program (PCLP) and other tutoring organizations in the county.

🔽
An estimated 15 percent of adults in Pittsylvania County are classified as illiterate, and an even larger percentage are low-literate or reading below a seventh grade level. Low literacy makes it difficult for adults to find and keep jobs, to interact with public services and to support their children or grandchildren’s education.  READ MORE ➤➤

 

Automatic Readability Checker

Based on 7 readability formulas:

Grade Level: 13

Reading Level: difficult to read.

Reader's Age: 18-19 yrs. old

(college level entry)

 

Hope Adult Learning

Mississippi Has An Adult Literacy Problem. Here’s What Advocates Are Doing To Curb It.
Mississippi Today: 4.09.2021 by Candace McKenzie

When 64-year-old Carl Plessala first moved to Mississippi seven years ago, he wanted to start a new life.

He stumbled upon a pamphlet that advertised classes at a community college. The idea intrigued him, but there was one problem: He was among the thousands of Mississippi adults who couldn’t read or write.

Plessala grew up in Louisiana, and he didn’t take school seriously. He called himself “a class clown,” which he said was a way to mask his low confidence in reading and writing skills. He entered the workforce and never learned to read or write.

“I thought I didn’t need much education because school was boring and riding tractors was fun until I got older,” he said. “Then, I realized riding tractors was a whole lotta work.”

So after he moved to Mississippi, he enrolled in a program at Hope Adult Learning in Harrison County and was matched with a tutor there. After three years in the program, Plessala’s initial 3rd or 4th grade reading level rose to a 10th grade level.

Today, Plessala says that learning how to read made him “feel like somebody,” and he plans to share his story with churches and other organizations.

There are many similar stories in Mississippi, where 16% of the adult population lacked proficient reading and writing skills in 2003, according to the National Center for Education for Statistics. That year is the last time conclusive data on the state’s literacy rate was collected, though more recent studies and interviews with experts across the state indicate not much has changed.  WATCH 07:58

 

Automatic Readability Checker

Based on 7 readability formulas:

Grade Level: 10

Reading Level: standard / average.

Reader's Age: 14-15 yrs. old

(Ninth to Tenth graders)

 

@IncOnslow

52 Faces - Dennis Aschbrenner
The Daily News: 4.09.2021 by Kelsey Stiglitz

When Dennis Aschbrenner retired from the Navy in 1989 as a chief hospital corpsman, he knew his civilian career would need to relate to his experience in the medical field. In the search for ways to make himself more marketable to employers, he found the associate’s degree in nursing program at Coastal Carolina Community College. For him, it was the perfect fit. 

He was one of the few male students in the program - one of three - but he obtained his associate’s as a Registered Nurse and found work locally at Onslow Memorial Hospital. After a 22 year civilian career at OMH, Aschbrenner found a new use for his nursing skills - healing with the power of words rather than medicine. 

“As a nurse, nurses are always instructing people, and it made it so I could go over and help with the Onslow Literacy Council,” Aschbrenner said. “Even if someone doesn’t have extensive experience, you have to be able to talk about what you’re teaching people and that’s important.”  READ MORE ➤➤

 

Automatic Readability Checker

Based on 7 readability formulas:

Grade Level: 10

Reading Level: fairly difficult to read.

Reader's Age: 14-15 yrs. old

(Ninth to Tenth graders)

7 Nonprofit Newsletter Tips & Best Practices – Fundraising E-Newsletters ▬ Donor Box

7 Nonprofit Newsletter Tips & Best Practices – Fundraising E-Newsletters

E-Newsletters

Donor Box: 11.26.2020 by Raj

For decades, nonprofits and other social impact organizations have been using monthly, bimonthly, and weekly newsletters to update their supporters about their latest events and achievements.

While the aim of newsletters has pretty much remained the same, the method of delivery has evolved. Newsletters are no longer sent to our mailboxes, but to our inboxes.

A nonprofit newsletter is an effective way to communicate and engage with volunteers and potential donors. The objective of a nonprofit newsletter is to convert subscribers to nonprofit volunteers and update prospective donors with the latest information & news happening around your nonprofit.

When executed properly, a nonprofit newsletter will help you get regular support for your nonprofit’s cause and mission, get engagement and traffic to your nonprofit website and maintain a relationship with your supporters and volunteers.

Sending newsletters is quick and affordable, but it also makes it easier for readers to simply ignore them.

Newsletters have been chastised for being a thing of the past, but study after study puts email marketing as the most effective way for nonprofits to build awareness, acquire leads, convert prospects, and retain current customers, even after compared to social media.

An email address is extremely valuable because it provides you with a direct line of access to your subscribers. In exchange, they expect content that is valuable, engaging, and relevant.

🔽

Top 7 Nonprofit Newsletter Tips & Best Practices

Clean Up Your Email List

Keep Consistent

Pay Attention to Design

Think About Your Subject Line

Make Your Content Useful

Keep it Concise

Think Social and Shareable

READ MORE ➤➤

 

Automatic Readability Checker

Based on 7 readability formulas:

Grade Level: 14

Reading Level: difficult to read.

Reader's Age: 21-22 yrs. old

(college level

 

Public Libraries Are Giving Away An Insane Amount Of Free Food ▬ Shareable

Public Libraries Are Giving Away An Insane Amount Of Free Food

Lunch at the Library

Shareable:  9.29.2020 by Noah Lenstra

Across America, in major cities you’ve heard of and in countless places you most likely have never considered, public librarians are working with local, state, and national partners to bring food to those who need it during the COVID-19 Pandemic. 

Wait — librarians? 

Yes indeed.

And, when librarians distribute food, they do more than merely give it away. 

They also use the library’s myriad educational and lifelong learning resources to confront the food insecurity that all too many Americans struggle with every day. 

🔽
In fact, libraries have a long history of food provision, from the victory gardens of World War I and II to today’s bumper crop of community gardens at libraries across North America. 

But the story runs deeper still. 

🔽

Summer reading, summer eating

Since 2008, the number of public libraries in the United States feeding children and families during the summer months has skyrocketed. Innovative programs are flourishing from coast to coast. 

As these initiatives proliferate, funders, scholars, and policy makers take note. California’s Lunch at the Library inspired a series of peer-reviewed studies in the journal Public Health Nutrition, and received $1 million in supplementary funding from Governor Gavin Newsom in 2019 to expand the program.  

=My research showed that in 2017, at least 1,546 public libraries distributed summer meals as part of the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Summer Feeding Program. Two years later, in 2019, data from the agency’s Food and Nutrition Service show that by 2019 the number of libraries serving summer meals had grown to above 2,000. 

🔽
Food security all year long

Many of these summer feeding efforts at libraries are morphing into year-round food distribution programs.

🔽
If you want to start a similar program where you live, the first step is to reach out to your local librarian. 

Then let Shareable know what you develop together!

Learn more:

Lunch at the Library

Team Vittles

Collaborative Summer Library Program

Food Justice in the Public Library: Information, Resources, and Meals
Noah Lenstra, University of North Carolina at Greensboro, USA

Christine D’Arpa, Wayne State University, USA

READ MORE ➤➤

 

Automatic Readability Checker

Based on 7 readability formulas:

Grade Level: 11

Reading Level: fairly difficult to read.

Reader's Age: 15-17 yrs. old

(Tenth to Eleventh graders)

Literacy – Spanning the US :: Huntington Beach CA :: Chicago IL :: Eureka CA :: Fairmont WV

Literacy In The News :: Spanning the US

Literacy Volunteers
 HBPL

Cesar Chavez Day Word Search
Literacy Volunteers HBPL: 3.31.2021

Tutors, today, March 31, is the anniversary of Cesar Chavez’s birthday, and a day of commemoration to the legacy of Cesar Chavez’s work toward equal justice for all workers and his commitment to the respect for all human dignity.

See our Facebook page for more information to discuss with your learner. Word searches are a great way to reinforce spelling and learn current vocabulary.

Discuss the terms and definitions, then send the Word Search as a useful learning exercise!  READ MORE ➤➤

Automatic Readability Checker

Based on 7 readability formulas:

Grade Level: 11

Reading Level: fairly difficult to read.

Reader's Age: 15-17 yrs. old

(Tenth to Eleventh graders)

 

Chicago Literacy 
Alliance

Learning To Read: It's Never Too Late
WFMZ: 4.05.2021 by Nancy Werteen

Top of FormBottom of FormA law school graduate, a startup entrepreneur helping to raise $30 million in venture capital, and often being one of the very few women in the boardroom, this smart woman has accomplished many goals. But now in what she calls her biggest accomplishment yet, she is using her talents to help others succeed.

When adult learner H.C. Warfield retired, he decided to go back to school, to learn something he was never able to do before.

“When I came here, I couldn’t read at all,” explained Warfield.

He is one of thousands of adult and child learners who benefit from a first-of-its-kind literacy collaboration called Chicago Literacy Alliance.

🔽
With her experience in the venture capital world, Ratner used her expertise to build support for the idea that if literacy groups work together, their reach can be vast.

“No one is going to be motivated or inspired or drawn to a group which is doing a few little projects in isolation,” said Ratner.

Instead, Chicago Literacy Alliance has a home base, where more than 120 literacy groups can rent workspaces, use resources, and collaborate with one another. Christine Kenny is the executive director of Literacy Works, which trains more than 600 volunteer tutors for adult learners. Being close to other organizations working toward the same mission has been a huge plus for her.  WATCH  02:00

Automatic Readability Checker

Based on 7 readability formulas:

Grade Level: 10

Reading Level: fairly difficult to read.

Reader's Age: 14-15 yrs. old

(Ninth to Tenth graders)

 

Humboldt Literacy 
Project

Humboldt Literacy Project Connects Illiterate Adults With Volunteer Tutors
Times-Standard: 4.06.2021 by Heather Shelton

This week’s featured nonprofit is the Humboldt Literacy Project, located at 537 G St. in Eureka. Emma Breacain, executive director, answered the following questions.

Briefly describe your organization and its mission:
Humboldt Literacy Project connects illiterate adults with volunteer tutors for free, confidential, one-on-one English language studies at the learner’s pace, tailored to their goals and needs. The individuals involved see increased confidence and success at home and at work, but the entire community benefits from a more educated and capable general population.

California Library 
Literacy Services

When and why was this nonprofit founded?:
Our project was started in 1981 by an HSU grad student and, in 1985, we became a 501(c)(3) nonprofit and a part of California Library Literacy Services.

Adult illiteracy is a social issue. It is not confined to the individual. It sits in the middle of a giant web of tangential cause-and-effect issues. It affects families, workplaces, medical care and the children’s education and well-being and literacy. Literacy is absolutely everything. It is community health.

Is there anything you wish more people knew about the organization or the issues this nonprofit is trying to solve?:
Most people are just shocked that adult illiteracy is still a real problem in the U.S. in the 21st century. If the general public was aware that 15% of adults in the U.S. are functionally illiterate, we might see some positive changes in how we approach education, employment and families. And if those illiterate adults understood that there are 14,000 people in Humboldt County struggling with the same thing, they might feel less alone and more empowered to ask for our help sooner.  READ MORE ➤➤

 

Automatic Readability Checker

Based on 7 readability formulas:

Grade Level: 10

Reading Level: fairly difficult to read.

Reader's Age: 14-15 yrs. old

(Ninth to Tenth graders)

 

Literacy Volunteers Looking For New Tutors
Fairmont News: 4.06.2021 by John Mark Shaver

After being closed for months due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the Literacy Volunteers of Marion County has opened its doors again to clients, and officials are hoping more volunteer tutors will sign on.

The local nonprofit specializes in improving the literacy rate of its clients, whether they be children struggling to read, adults learning English as a second language or anything in between. Kay Nesselrotte, executive director of Literacy Volunteers, said the organization is holding a new tutor training seminar later this year, and she’s hoping new people will step up to the plate.

“We were closed for approximately six months because we kind of followed the lead of the Board of Education and public school system for when to stay open,” Nesselrotte said. “When this pandemic hit, I sent a survey out to my tutors, and most of them responded that they wanted to wait either until there was a vaccine available or until things have changed greatly. Consequently, we lost our students because we didn’t have anyone to tutor them.”

Unfortunately, even a year after the pandemic began, many of the tutors are still uncomfortable with returning, according to Nesselrotte.

“We just geared up again in January, but I’m having a bit of difficulty getting our tutors back on board,” Nesselrotte said. “They’re not ready yet. They’re still not feeling safe about coming into the facility.  READ MORE ➤➤

 

Automatic Readability Checker

Based on 7 readability formulas:

Grade Level: 12

Reading Level: difficult to read.

Reader's Age: 17-18 yrs. old

(Twelfth graders)

6 Tips For Being A Better Volunteer ▬ Doug Johnson

6 Tips For Being A Better Volunteer

@BlueSkunkBlog

Blue Skunk Blog: 4.19.2021 by Doug Johnson

Since my retirement two years ago, I've upped my volunteering activities. I have led a seniors’ group hikes for a local YMCA, assisted in the teaching of adult basic education classes, and helped pack food packages.

🔽
Before retirement, I had volunteered primarily for my professional organizations, so doing this kind of hands-on work is new to me. And I am recognizing some things that make me a valuable volunteer.

1. Treat volunteering like a “real” job.
It may be because I was an employee for over 50 years, but when volunteering I am reliable, I am on time, and I do my best while on the job.

2. Know that your interactions with others is as important as the work itself.

3. Do a little extra.

4. Maintain boundaries.  READ MORE ➤➤

 

Automatic Readability Checker

Based on 7 readability formulas:

Grade Level: 8

Reading Level: standard / average.

Reader's Age: 12-14 yrs. old

(Seventh and Eighth graders)

How to Use Technology to Support ELLs in Your Classroom ▬ Common Sense

How to Use Technology to Support ELLs in Your Classroom

#EdTech

Common Sense: 5.18.2020 by Jeff Knutson

Quality edtech for ELLs isn't easy to find, but great options do exist.

English-language learners (ELLs) come into our classrooms with a wide variety of specific and unique needs for language acquisition. It's hard to talk about them all as one group -- ELLs represent a diverse range of students in every sense. It's needless to say: Working with ELLs is often challenging and also highly rewarding.

Because there are so many apps and edtech tools available today, you might expect to find lots of them made specifically for English language development (ELD), bilingual, or dual-immersion classrooms. Unfortunately, this isn't the case: Tools designed specifically for English-language learners are few and far between (though there are definitely some out there).

🔽
So, what's the best way to find and use great digital tools with your ELLs? A lot will depend on your students' specific needs, but here are a few things to think about when finding the best tools for your classroom.

1. Look for ELL-friendly supports in the tools you're already using.

Lots of online tools have built-in features to support differentiated instruction for a variety of learners.

Newsela offers texts at five variable Lexile levels, many in both English and Spanish.

ThinkCERCA offers leveled texts with scaffolding for students reading at different levels, including audio versions of texts.

Khan Academy is one popular example; the site offers a translated version of its curriculum in 12 languages.

2. Build basic online resources and productivity tools into daily routines.

From basic translation to productivity tools for consumers, a lot of everyday apps and websites can be great for supporting ELL-centered learning activities.

3. Get creative and repurpose a digital-storytelling tool.

Storytelling is an excellent, interactive learning activity for ELLs and bilingual learners of all ages and language abilities.

4. Find tools that specifically address your ELLs' needs.

5. Supplement instruction with an online language-learning tool.

Language-learning tools for travelers and consumers are everywhere and easy to find.

Tools to try

READ MORE ➤➤

 

Automatic Readability Checker

Based on 7 readability formulas:

Grade Level: 9

Reading Level: fairly difficult to read.

Reader's Age: 13-15 yrs. old

(Eighth and Ninth graders)