Illinois Reading Council

1210 Fort Jesse Road, Suite B2, Normal, Illinois 61761 Phone: (888) 454-1341 Fax: (309) 454-3512

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National Resources

Adult Literacy

Noted below are three sites which would be worth adding to a resource list.

The Adult Literacy Resource Institute (A.L.R.I.) is a program and staff development center for adult literacy, basic education, and English for speakers of other languages programs in the Greater Boston area. Although this program is available in Boston, the resources and related information is of great value.

The
Verizon Literacy Network offers a variety of programs to help establish or enhance a literacy program. Verizon is committed to "Promoting a more literate American." As a source of partners, programs, news, and events, this site would be a valuable addition to a educator resource site.

The Council for Advancement of Adult Literacy mission is to "help advance literacy in the United States. To this end, CAAL pursues an agenda of issues that bears critically on policy, practice, and planning, especially at the state and federal levels."

Alliance for Excellent Education

Alliance for Excellent Education (2004) and the Carnegie Corporation of New York created a team of nationally respected educational researchers that offered recommendations for how to meet the needs of struggling readers in grades 4-12. This report expands on Reading First - acquiring grade-level reading skills by third grade - to include Reading Next - acquiring the reading skills that can serve youth for a lifetime.

America Reads

We are parents, teachers, college students, care givers, volunteers, business people, children... And we are united with one goal. The America Reads Challenge calls on all Americans to help ensure that every American child can read well and independently by the end of 3rd grade. You can play an important role in the America Reads Challenge.

American Library Association

21st Century Literacy is one of five key action areas adopted by the American Library Association to fulfill its mission of providing the highest quality library and information services for all people. This site provides resources and links to other websites and includes information in Spanish. Visit the American Library Association's Great websites for kids.

Barahona Center 

This site has llists books in Spanish for Children and Adolescents

Caldecott Medal Home Page

The Caldecott Medal was named in honor of nineteenth-century English illustrator Randolph Caldecott. It is awarded annually by the Association for Library Service to Children, a division of the American Library Association, to the artist of the most distinguished American picture book for children.

Center for the Improvement of Early Reading Achievement

The Center's mission is to improve the reading achievement of America's youth by generating and disseminating theoretical, empirical, and practical solutions to the learning and teaching of beginning reading.

Children's Book Council

The Children's Book Council (CBC) is a non-profit trade organization dedicated to encouraging literacy and the use and enjoyment of children's books.

Exercise the Right to Read

The program is called Exercise the Right to Read and is a nationwide fundraiser that combines childhood fitness and literacy, benefits school libraries, and raises funds for First Book-an award winning charity that provides books to children from low-income families. This campaign has already been introduced to schools nationwide. We've had great feedback from teachers and librarians from all over the country, as the program combines ways of addressing many schools' literacy and fitness goals. It's also being used by affluent schools as community outreach to help less fortunate schools. Everything needed for the program is available free at www.exercisetherighttoread.org. Take a look, and get involved - you'll find it's a win / win, benefiting you and the people we write for - kids!

Get Caught Reading Association

Get Caught Reading is a nationwide campaign to remind people of all ages how much fun it is to read.

International Reading Association

The International Reading Association is a professional membership organization dedicated to promoting high levels of literacy for all by improving the quality of reading instruction, disseminating research and information about reading, and encouraging the lifetime reading habit. The IRA is the national organization of the Illinois Reading Council. Visit the site for excellent print or video materials.

National Reading Panel

This Web site is updated regularly with information about NRP publications and materials, as well as upcoming speaking engagements by Panel members. This site is also an archive, featuring the congressional charge to the NRP, biographies of NRP members, meeting minutes, and other historical information.

Written materials may be viewed online in HTML format or downloaded in PDF format. You may also order NRP publications and materials, including the full-length 20-minute video, from the National Institute of Child Health and Human Development Clearinghouse.

National Center for Family Literacy (NCFL)

NCFL is recognized internationally as the leader in the field of family literacy, an innovative approach to meeting the educational needs of both children and their parents. NCFL works to expand the learning opportunities for all families nationwide by providing training for educators, researching effective practices, and raising public awareness. This website includes information about current programs nationwide and research information related to family literacy.

Newspaper in Education
This is an interesting website that provides an online news museum. Everyday the site posts the front pages of 365 newspapers from around the world (38 countries). First, you select the continent, then the desired city. You may just read the front page or link to the newspaper's website.

No Child Left Behind

This site offers information and resources for teachers, administrators and parents. The site includes a newsletter and a listing of state contacts.

Partnership for Reading

This website offers information about the effective teaching of reading for children, adolescents, and adults, based on the evidence from quality research.

The Partnership for Reading website offers a database containing abstracts of approximately 460 research studies related to the teaching of reading in grades K-3.

Read Across America

NEA's Read Across America also provides NEA members, parents, caregivers, and children the resources and activities they need to keep reading on the calendar 365 days a year.

Readers Theatre

Readers Theatre introduces the element of drama into literacy learning and magically transforms the classroom into a stage. During Readers Theatre time, the reader is at center stage, totally absorbed in reading. The reader is a star. Readers Theatre is a highly motivational strategy that connects oral reading, literature, and drama in the classroom.

ReadWriteThink

ReadWriteThink is a partnership between the International Reading Association (IRA), the National Council of Teachers of English (NCTE), and the Marco Polo Education Foundation. ReadWriteThink offers a wide array of standards-based lesson plans that meaningfully integrate Internet content into the teaching and/or learning experience. Lessons can be selected by grade (K-2, 3-5, 6-8, 9-12) and area of literacy practice. Each lesson is research-based, and includes a detailed instructional plan. The lessons are written for the teacher but include student-ready materials such as worksheets, interactives, and reviewed Web resources.

Teen Read Week

Teen Read Week is a national literacy initiative aimed at teens, their parents, librarians and educators. It is celebrated each year during the third week of October. Since 1998, Teen Read Week has encouraged teens to: make time to read for fun, use their local library, and get reading materials and participate in events at their school or public library.

U S Dept. of Education

This website is a comprehensive site with information on educational initiatives for teachers, principals, higher education, students and parents. Current policies, legislative action alerts, grant information and research can be accessed through this site.



Illinois Reading Council
an affiliate of the
International Reading Association

For general information, contact us at: irc@illinoisreadingcouncil.org