In observance of International Literacy Day, Arkansas First Lady Ginger Beebe will join the Alex Foundation and the Arkansas Reading Association to help distribute over 1,000 books.

100 books will be donated both to Our House and Dorcas House for transitional children residents; 100 books will be donated to St. Francis House to establish a library for transitional families; and 400 books will be donated to both Dermott Elementary School library and to CB King Memorial School for special needs children.

Approximately 1,100 recycled and new reading books are made available through purchases made by the Alex Foundation, and 123 new books are made available by its partner, First Book.

Long before she was First Lady of Arkansas, Ginger Beebe volunteered by reading to children to promote literacy, raising awareness about mental-health issues, advocating for people with special needs, and supporting the arts. Her work with the homeless, both individually and through organizations such as Our House in Little Rock, demonstrates her caring spirit. She also works to create better working and living environments for those with special needs, most recently creating an audio tour of the herb garden at the Governor’s Mansion for use by blind and visually impaired visitors. She is a member of the Advisory Board for Women and Children First, and in 2011, she was honored as the organization’s Woman of the Year.

The Alex Foundation, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization, offers academic scholarship assistance and educational resources for students attending two Arkansas Delta schools, Dermott and McGehee High Schools, as well as Parkview High School in Little Rock. The mission of the Alex Foundation is to engage, engender and enlighten students to pursue careers and entrepreneurial opportunities in architecture, art and mathematics through mentoring, strengthening their capacity, and supporting their educational attainment and continued advancement to meet domestic and global challenges. The Foundation’s efforts are collaborated through a multiple intelligence approach that includes cooperative learning, experiential learning, project-based learning and multidisciplinary learning.

International Reading Association and Greater 1000 Islands Literacy Council member Sarah Parker Ada came up with a new way to promote the New York State Reading Association annual conference on October 28-30 in Liverpool.

In her YouTube video entitled “Read it Maybe (NYSRA 2012)” she encourages her community to read by parodying the popular song “Call Me Maybe” by Carly Rae Jepsen. In the video, she changes Jepsen’s “here’s my number, so call me maybe” lyrics to “here's a book, now, so read it maybe.” The video was filmed in various locations, including the Roswell P. Flower Memorial Library in Watertown, New York. 

“I go to the Flower Memorial Library and check out books there all the time,” Ada shares in an article in the Watertown Daily Times. “Growing up, I always loved ‘Weird Al.’ I’ve chosen two songs that are pretty popular with teens. It’s speaks to kids more. It gets them more into it.”

Earlier this year, Ada posted a YouTube video entitled “If You Love to Read (NYSRA 2012)” which has received over 13,000 views. It is a parody of Adele’s “Rolling in the Deep,” changing “We could have had it all; (You're gonna wish you never had met me); rolling in the deep; (tears are gonna fall, rolling in the deep)” to “You can have it all; (I really wish you, you would read to me); if you love to read; (pages gonna turn, when you love to read).” 

Ada also plays a news anchor in the “NYSRA 2012 Conference Update” video on the NYSRA website.

Ada is an adjunct professor for freshman composition at Jefferson Community College and is getting a degree in secondary English education, which she describes as her passion.

“I’m hoping to do more videos like this,” she says.

We hope so too!

International Reading Association Councils and Affiliates

Join the International Reading Association

International Reading Association Annual Convention

by Clarissa Hardcastle

The Tennessee Reading Association (TRA) is pleased to announce that its annual conference, Literacy: The Core to Learning, will be held December 2-4, 2012, at the Embassy Suites in Murfreesboro, Tennessee. Over the past few years, annual conference attendance has steadily increased. In 2011, the conference had an attendance total of more than 600, and looks forward to the possibility of an even greater number of participants this year.

Because it values providing strong professional development for Tennessee teachers, TRA, along with TRA conference chair Angel Viera, announce that International Reading Association Past President Dr. Timothy Shanahan will be a keynote speaker. Vicki Gibson and Jan Hasbrouck will also serve as keynote speakers and share important information regarding the Common Core State Standards.

Annual Leadership Workshop

This summer, Randy Kincaid, the outgoing state coordinator who has served six years in this role, has once again made a leadership workshop possible for TRA through substantial donations and endless of hours of planning. He has made arrangements for the board and local council presidents to meet at a state park to learn more about the role of TRA across the state and how people can work together to make the TRA and local councils strong forces in Tennessee. In addition, Kincaid is bringing in Alan Sitomer to help members consider ways to integrate the common core standards across the curriculum. Jana Crosby, the incoming state coordinator, is looking forward to continuing the tradition of providing an annual TRA leadership workshop.

Tennessee Reading Association Website

To stay abreast of what is happening in TRA, please visit www.tnreads.org. Co-web designers Julie Baker and Jeremy Wendt have provided TRA with a professional and informative website that serves as a resource for TRA members, providing up to date information regarding current research and practices.

By the information posted on the website and the results of the four state meetings annual conference, one can see that TRA promotes literacy across the state and supports the standards set forth by the International Reading Association. Again, check out the website (www.tnreads.org) to attend the annual TRA conference in December.

Richard Peck autographs his book, A Teacher's Funeral, for Benita Bruster at the last TRA Conference. 

Jody Harris, Mollie Johnson, and Trudy Anderson served as student ambassadors at the 2011 TRA Conference—Literacy: Pass it on!

Clarissa Hardcastle is the strategic communications department intern at the International Reading Association.

The Russian students who created the first Choices reading lists program in Russia were so excited to hear that their story appeared on Reading Today Online that their teacher Elena Grashchenkova sent us an update and more photos. She includes news that they are expanding the program to twelve other Russian schools. The letter and classroom images are below.

Children interview the Director Karina Chernjakova

Teacher Elena Grashchenkova with students

Teachers Elena Grashchenkova and Svetlana Zajtseva

Teacher Oksana Hlopkova

A student tells the class about the good book

Students vote for books

Votes for the winning books

The poster about the Children’s Choices Reading List 2012

Presentation of the project at school

Thomas Jefferson High School reading specialist Patricia Gillespie was selected as the Iowa Reading Teacher of the Year by the Iowa Reading Association. She was honored last month at a banquet during the Iowa Reading Association Conference on the Iowa State University campus in Ames.

Gillespie has been teaching reading for more than 30 years and has taught every grade from kindergarten through graduate school. She currently teaches reading skills to about 65 students.

Gillespie served as the president and vice president of the Midlands of Iowa Reading Council and was a two-term zone director for the Iowa Reading Association. She has been a presenter at the local, state, regional, and international conferences.

Ten years ago, Gillespie began the Reading is Fundamental (RIF) program at Thomas Jefferson High School. RIF named her Volunteer of the Year in 2011 and was awarded her the Anne Hazard Richardson RIF Volunteer of the Year Award. While the federal government ended funding for the RIF program at the high school for the 2011-12 school year, Gillespie hopes funding will resume for 2012-13.

Gillespie’s childhood experiences have given her a passion for teaching literacy. She admits teaching herself to read when she was 19 years old. While attending school and working with private tutors, she realized she had five learning disabilities.

“I figured it out through struggling. I have auditory discrimination problems,” Gillespie shares. “I think of where I was and where I am today. I share my story with my students. I want them to love reading. The more they read, the better they’ll get.”

She taught a gifted student years ago who had serious problems at home.

“I saw her nearly every day,” explains Gillespie. Seven years later, the student, “a graduating honor student, said I had made a difference in her life.”

Gillespie also remembered working with a young girl who had difficulties reading at even the most basic level. Gillespie heard from her 15 years later.

“She told me she was the first person in her family to graduate from high school,” Gillespie glows. “I’ll keep pushing. I’ll never give up. The kids keep me doing this. You never know the difference you might make,” Gillespie said.