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E*Literacy

Volume 2, Issue 2,                                                             February 1, 2002

Welcome to e*literacy, a monthly electronic newsletter with the latest news from the National Institute for Literacy.

CONTENTS

NAULC Honors Susan Green with Literacy Achievement Award

Susan Green, who recently retired from the Institute, was honored by the National Alliance of Urban Literacy Coalitions on January 25 for her dedication to literacy throughout her career, with special appreciation for her contribution to the development of Literacy AmeriCorps.

The award was presented at a banquet of 150 AmeriCorps members from across the country in Houston, Texas. June Crawford, the Institute�s learning disabilities specialist, accepted the award on Susan�s behalf, and highlighted Susan�s career in literacy, including her years at the White House working for First Lady Barbara Bush, her work on the Secretary of Education�s Adult Literacy Initiative in the 1980s, her 12 years on the staff of an early childhood program for low-income Head Start graduates and their families, and her 10 years at the Institute.

Institute Cosponsors Workshops for Research Applicants

On January 28, the National Institute for Literacy, the National Institutes of Health (NIH), and several offices of the U.S. Department of Education cosponsored the first of a series of technical assistance workshops for potential applicants for $3.8 million in funds for adult and family literacy research. The workshops assist those interested in responding to the recently published research solicitation, �Research on Adult and Family Literacy,� which is available online at: http://grants.nih.gov/grants/guide/rfa-files/RFA-HD-02-004.html.

The research solicitation seeks the development of new knowledge on the critical instruction factors that influence the development of literacy competencies and the identification or design of effective program structures and models of service delivery. The research priorities are drawn in part from a series of meetings held by the Institute, the National Institute for Child Health and Human Development (NICHD), the National Center for the Study of Adult Learning and Literacy (NCSALL), and the U.S. Department of Education between November 2000 and August 2001. For more information and a summary document, go to: http://www.nichd.nih.gov/crmc/cdb/AFL_workshop.htm.

The next workshop will be in San Diego on February 6, followed by one in Houston on March 15. For registration information, contact Esther Roberts at NIH at eroberts@hq.row.com

Equipped for the Future Announces Reading Project

Equipped for the Future (EFF) recently announced the new EFF Reading Project. This project will help parents enrolled in family literacy programs improve their own literacy and employability skills, as well as support their children's educational development and success.

The EFF Reading Project will produce and pilot a module-based training curriculum and supporting classroom materials that integrate scientifically based research on the teaching of reading into EFF's standards-based approach to building adults' capacity to use skills and knowledge -- including reading -- to accomplish their goals.

Funded by the Partnership for Reading (an Institute project designed to disseminate scientifically based reading research through existing networks to classroom teachers to strengthen reading instruction) the project is part of the Institute�s ongoing efforts to integrate scientifically based research into other Institute-funded program improvement efforts. The training curriculum will be developed jointly by a team with expertise in reading and family literacy as well as EFF theory and practice, with guidance from practitioner and technical advisory committees. The curriculum will be piloted during the 2002 school year and revised to incorporate feedback from participants. For more information, please contact Amy Trawick at: artrawick@triad.rr.com.

Eastern LINCS Offers Regional Practitioners New Online Learning Opportunity

Eastern LINCS is offering a new opportunity for adult education and literacy practitioners in the Eastern LINCS region to learn more about LINCS -- the Institute�s Literacy Information and Communication System. �Using LINCS� is an online course designed for teachers, tutors, administrators and staff who work in adult literacy and have a need to access a wide-range of important adult literacy information and resources quickly and easily.

To learn more about the course and to register online, visit the course page at The Electronic Classroom -- a joint project of Pennsylvania's ABLE Net project and the West Branch Technology Center. The Electronic Classroom can be accessed at: http://www.wbtc.ciu10.com/eclass/courses/usinglincssec2.htm.

The above article is reprinted from the Eastern LINCS electronic newsletter, available at: http://www.easternlincs.org/newsletter/winter2002/home.htm

�Put Reading First� Tops LINCS Hits List

LINCS, the Institute�s online information and communication system, was accessed over 1.6 million times during the month of December. The three most accessed files in December were:

  1. Put Reading First: The Research Building Blocks for Teaching Children to Read. This booklet by the Partnership for Reading (the National Institute for Literacy; National Institute of Child Health and Human Development; and U.S. Department of Education) summarizes for teachers what researchers have discovered about how to teach children to read successfully. It describes the findings of the National Reading Panel Report and provides analysis and discussion in five areas of reading instruction: phonemic awareness; phonics; fluency; vocabulary; and text comprehension. Each section suggests implications for classroom instruction as well as other information. Available online at: //partnershipforreading/publications/Cierra.pdf (Adobe Acrobat PDF file).
  2. Put Reading First: Helping Your Child Learn to Read. This brochure by the Partnership for Reading is designed for parents of young children. It describes the kinds of early literacy activities that should take place at school and at home to help children learn to read successfully. It is based on the findings of the National Reading Panel. Available online at: //partnershipforreading/publications/Parent_br.pdf (Adobe Acrobat PDF file).
  3. Learning to Think, Learning to Learn: What the Science of Thinking and Learning Has To Offer Adult Education Programs. This report by Institute fellow Jennifer Cromley reviews learning issues as applied to teaching GED students -- including memory, critical thinking, motivation, and transfer of learning from classes to real life. Each chapter includes a review of the topic, implications for teachers, and lesson ideas. Available online at: http://www.Institute.gov/Institute/fellowship/cromley_report.pdf.

Institute Staff on the Road

A listing of presentations by Institute staff in February and March is listed below, along with the email address of the staff member(s) who can provide more information.

February

March

New Publications

To join the Institute�s mailing list, visit: //nifl/join_mailing_list.html

Literacy in the News

From PR Newswire:
Verizon Launches Fund-Raising Campaign for NAACP Literacy Initiatives
January 14, 2002

Verizon is encouraging its customers to celebrate Black History Month by supporting the efforts of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) to improve literacy and education. To read this story and other literacy news from around the world, go to LINCS� News Flashes

Legislative Update: Congress Reconvenes as President Prepares to Release Budget

On January 23, the 107th Congress returned to work and will likely take up a number of issues that were left unresolved during 2001. They expect to focus on issues of national defense, homeland security, and anti-terrorism, along with economic stimulus, Medicare reform, and welfare reform. On January 29, President Bush delivered his State of the Union address. Stating that "good jobs begin with good schools," the President announced plans to advance early childhood literacy by improving Head Start and other early childhood development programs. The President is expected to release his FY 2003 budget proposal early next week, which will include his funding proposals for adult education and literacy.

For more information on the President�s State of the Union address, visit: http://www.whitehouse.gov

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Coalition for Literacy Plans Capitol Hill Policy Forum

The National Coalition for Literacy will host its Annual Policy Forum on February 7 from 9:15 to 10:30AM, in room SC-5 of the U.S. Capitol Building. The purpose of this Forum is to inform Congress about issues related to adult literacy, language, and lifelong learning. The National Coalition for Literacy serves as the umbrella organization for the advancement of adult literacy in the United States and is currently coordinating the National Literacy Summit Initiative. More information about the Coalition and its initiatives is available at: http://www.natcoalitionliteracy.org.

Calendar

Be sure to check out LINCS' calendar of upcoming events, including conferences, seminars, and training sessions at: //cgi-bin/Calendar/calendar_world.cgi. February 2002 events include:

February 9-12
American Council on Education 84th Annual Meeting
San Francisco, California

February 13-15
Pennsylvania Association for Adult Continuing Education (PAACE) Midwinter Conference: "PAACE: Bridging the Gap"
Hershey, Pennsylvania

February 13-16
Learning Disabilities Association of America 39th Annual International Conference
Denver, Colorado

February 21-22
PRO-NET 2000 National Conference Washington, DC

E*literacy is published monthly by the National Institute for Literacy. The National Institute for Literacy is an independent federal organization leading the national effort toward a fully literate nation in the 21st century. The Institute's mission is to improve the national adult literacy system by building capacity and improving quality through strategic public-private partnerships at the state, regional, and national level.

Editor: Alice Johnson (ajohnson@nifl.gov)

For more information, contact:
National Institute for Literacy
1775 I Street, NW
Suite 730
Washington, DC 20006-2417
202-233-2025
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