November 2, 2007
 
News and Notes from the National Institute for Literacy
 

                                                               Dr. Sandra
Baxter, Director

 

WHAT'S NEW AT THE INSTITUTE

 
*	Speaking to Mocha Moms: "Home is the child's first classroom and
parents are the child's first teacher," Sandra L. Baxter, Ed.D. told a group
of concerned mothers and fathers who gathered in Atlanta on Sunday, October
28 for the "Closing the Gap on Minority Achievement" education conference
sponsored by Southeast Regional chapter of Mocha Moms, Inc. and the National
Council of Negro Women. In her keynote address, Baxter stressed that mothers
and fathers, Federal agencies, schools, and communities, all have critical
roles to play in helping to bridge the academic achievement gap, and in
ensuring that "our babies are set on the path that will make them readers,
speakers, writers, and learners."
 
The Institute is close to brokering an agreement with Mocha Moms, Inc, that
will allow them to collaborate on national initiatives designed to foster
early literacy and reading in communities of color. Mocha Moms, Inc. is a
10-year-old, national support group for more than 5,000 mothers of color who
have chosen not to work full-time outside of the home in order to devote
more time to their families. The group has been featured on The Oprah
Winfrey Show, Good Morning America, and in The New York Times and in Essence
magazine.
 
*	Early Childhood, K-3 Literacy Updates: A large-scale dissemination
plan designed to get Big Dreams, a publication to support low-literacy
parents, and two books in the Institute's Shining Stars (for parents of
toddlers and preschoolers) book series into the hands of new and expanded
audiences, is already yielding great results based on the volume of
publications requested and the calls and letters the Institute has received
in response to the mailing. The Institute's publications continue to rank
among the Top 10 most requested products in the Ed Pubs and Department of
Education's national clearinghouse and inventory. Put Reading First: A
Parent Guide, Dad's Playbook, A Child Becomes a Reader: Kindergarten Through
Grade 3, Shining Stars: Kindergartners Learn to Read, and Put Reading First:
The Teacher's Guide ranked in the Top 5 position. 
 
*	On the Road with the Institute: Stop by the National Institute for
Literacy booth (#4-5) and sponsored sessions during this year's ProLiteracy
conference November 7-10 at the Hilton Mark Center in Alexandria, VA. The
Institute and its LINCS Regional Resource Centers, Resource Collection, and
Discussion Lists will present a series of panel presentations and sessions
about research and high quality resources.
 
*	The Institute's schedule of activities @ ProLiteracy:  
-          Dr. Sandra Baxter will be among the presenters at the "Building
Community Literacy Partnerships and Program Capacity" session on Thurs.,
Nov. 8 from 10:15 a.m. - 11:45 a.m.
-          Free! LINCS Resources and Trainings to Improve Your Literacy
Services Locally on Fri., Nov. 9 from 10:30 a.m. - 12 p.m.
-          "The National Institute for Literacy Resource Collections:
Information is Just a Click Away" on Fri., Nov. 10 from 2 - 5 p.m.
-          "Using Research to Build Evidence-based Practice" on Sat., Nov.
10 from 2 - 5 p.m.
 
Also in November, the Institute will be exhibiting at the 2007 National
Association for the Education of Young Children Annual Conference in
Chicago, November 7-10.  
 
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