5
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To the membership of the Missouri Literacy Association,
There was both sadness and joy in my heart as we prepared this issue of The Missouri Reader. Sadness because the literacy world lost such an important figure, and we all lost a very dear and dedicated friend. The depth of feelings for Linda Dorn was amazing. The In Memoriam blog post from Bill Kerns and Glenda had over 6000 views. Linda was a friend to all and an inspiration to a whole generation of educators. I feel joy because I know there are so many of you out there dedicated to her mission of helping kids. Her story is far from over, it is just beginning.
To that end look at page 23 of this issue (GO TO 23). There you will find a link to the historic session on comprehension led by PD Pearson and Nell Duke at the ILA convention in New Orleans this year. It was entitled: What Research Says About Reading- and Why That Still Matters. In it you will find valuable information about the how and why of teaching reading. It is information provided by some of the top experts in the literacy field today. It is imperative that we all take a long hard look at the research so that it can inform our practice. I think it is safe to say that that is something Linda always did.
As her many friends and colleagues talked about her and the things she said, this is the one quote that seemed to come up again and again. Please have a look:
Teachers must hold a flexible theory-one that can be reshaped and refined according to what children are showing us as they engage in the process of learning.
Let us all strive to become the teacher that Linda visioned us to be. Let us be informed, caring and most of all skilled in the craft of teaching. In doing that we can do so much more than just solve the “literacy crisis”. We can help create a world where the next generation of children can become the lifelong readers and writers that the we so desperately need.
Happy Reading and Writing.
Dr. Sam Bommarito
President of the Missouri Literacy Association
President's Message
Ways to Connect
https://www.facebook.com/mscira - Look for information about upcoming events, new book releases, and links to interesting literacy information
Please join Dr. Bommarito as he talks about articles in this issue on twitter! @doctorsam7 #MoRdr
Visit our website
http://www.missouri reading.org/
Find a local council and join!
http://www.missourireading.org/membership/zones
Dates to Remember
Write to Learn Conference
International Literacy Association Conference
Dates to Remember
(Click on each date's link to get more information about that event)
Feb. 27-29, 2020
Margaritaville Tan-tar-a, Lake Ozar,k
October 15–18, 2020
Columbus, OH
Editors' Expressions
Steve Baybo