RAI’s 36th Annual Conference will take place at the Marino Institute of Education in Dublin from September 27-29, 2012. The theme of the conference is ‘From Literacy Research to Classroom Practice: Insights and Inspiration’. The keynote speakers will include Frank Serafini and Áine Cregan. Further details will be posted later.
Clodagh Conway and Dr. Brian Murphy will present on ‘Understanding the role of explicit fluency instruction and its positive impact on the teaching of reading’ at Cork Education Support Centre on Thursday February 2nd, 2012 at 7:30pm - 9:30pm. Click here for information and booking form.
The 48th Annual United Kingdom Literacy Association International Conference takes place in Leicester from 6-8 July 2012.
Deadline for submission of proposals is December 3, 2011. Click here for details.
The Executive Committee of RAI has prepared a response to the document, Better Literacy and Numeracy for Children and Young People: A Draft National Plan to Improve Literacy and Numeracy in Schools, which was issued by the Department of Education and Skills in November 2011. Click here for RAI’s response.
In recognition of her work in the field of literacy, Dr Eithne Kennedy, a member of the RAI Executive Committee, received the prestigious "Irish Tatler Woman of the Year Public Life” Award, at a ceremony held in Dublin on 12th November, 2011. Click here for more.
A new literacy programme, implemented in Ballymun, has resulted in a significant increase in achievement test scores for children in First class in six schools. Click here.
The Department of Education and Skills has issued Circular 0056/2011, Initial Steps in the Implementation of the Literacy and Numeracy Strategy.
The Circular calls on school management and teaches to co-operate in the implementation of key areas of the Strategy involving improved professional development for teachers and increased time for teaching literacy and numeracy.
A new report, Teaching Reading in Europe: Context, Policies and Practices has been published by Eurydice, the Education Agency of the European Commission. Information about the report, and the report itself, can be accessed here. An interesting focus of the report is on programmes to improve the teaching of reading in EU-member countries.
Today (July 8, 2011), in Dublin, Minister for Education and Skills Ruairi Quinn launched Literacy and Numeracy for Learning and Life: The National Strategy for Children and Young People 2011-2020. The Strategy outlines a range of measures in teacher education, teacher professional development, curriculum and assessment that will be taken in the years ahead to raise standards. A summary of the plan was also issued. RAI was represented at the launch by two members of the Executive Committee, Karen Willoughby (President-Elect) and Martin Gleeson (Past-President). In February 2011, RAI submitted a detailed response to an earlier draft of the Strategy.