Oakland Literacy Coalition

As we close out 2024, we're coming together to find some joy, connection, and hope—reminding ourselves that community matters most when things feel challenging. We're also toasting Cassie Perham, our founding Co-Executive Director, who is moving on to her next chapter after eight years of visionary leadership. RSVP at https://lnkd.in/ggsDTmym to join us!

Rainy days are perfect for reading! In collaboration with Eat. Learn. Play. Foundation, Alameda County Community Food Bank, and Community Kitchens Oakland, we brought literary adventures to Laurel Elementary students last week. Our team braved the wet weather to deliver a vibrant collection of culturally relevant books. These young readers are building home libraries stories that reflect their experiences, celebrate their backgrounds, and open doors to new worlds of imagination and learning. #oaklandliteracycoalition #weneeddiversebooks #eatlearnplay #oaklandreads

From the OLC blog: Read about how Harbor House Ministries uses strong relationships, cozy spaces, and engaging and culturally relevant texts to foster a love of reading in their summer camp students. Harbor House received a summer Action Grant to support a five-week summer literacy camp designed for families. The camp’s theme, “UBUNTU LABS,” was all about exploring the idea of human connection and collaboration. Read more: https://lnkd.in/gzsTaZzf

We are so honored to be a recipient of the Golden State Warriors Community Foundation grant. Thank you to the Golden State Warriors for their commitment to Bay Area children & families.

Traditionally, instruction on foundational literacy skills focuses on the youngest students–typically Pre-K through third grade. Then it stops. But upper elementary and middle school teachers know their students are struggling to read grade-level texts, and they don’t have the resources they need to help. According to a 2024 report by RAND, 75% of teachers in grades 3–8 say that they need access to more resources to identify and support students with reading difficulties. Rebecca Sutherland, associate director of research of Advanced Education Research and Development Fund (AERDF)'s program, Reading Reimagined, and Anna Shapiro, associate policy researcher at RAND Corporation, discuss the report, its findings, and implications on the Literacy View. ?? Listen to their conversation with Faith Borkowsky and Judy Boksner on the Literacy View podcast: Podcast https://lnkd.in/gY8DpiYD YouTube https://lnkd.in/gT9r4NQE

Across the country, including Oakland, districts and states are making bold shifts in both curriculum and teaching methods, grounded in the science of reading research. Now, three years into implementing evidence-based literacy practices, we’re seeing promising results, with steady gains reflected in OUSD schools’ and Lighthouse Charter Public Schools’ student growth data. These early indicators underscore the impact of strategic, evidence-aligned instruction on student reading progress. It’s important for policymakers to see and hear what this looks like on the ground, both the complexities and the successes. That’s why we invited local and state policymakers last week to join the Oakland Literacy Coalition, FULCRUM, and the California Early Literacy Coalition for school literacy?learning?walks?in Oakland, followed by a panel discussion. The panel discussion and visits to Korematsu Discovery Academy and Lighthouse Community Charter School highlighted several important lessons: 1. Effective Literacy Implementation Requires Skilled Leadership 2. A Systemic Approach Benefits All?Learners 3. Teacher Capacity-Building is Key Read more about the learning walks below -

Passing along some grant opportunities from the International Literacy Association that might be of interest to researchers in our network: Nila Banton Smith Teacher as Researcher Grant This US$2,000?grant is awarded biennially?to teachers who conduct research inquiries in their classrooms and show outstanding leadership in connecting theory and current research to practice in literacy instruction. https://lnkd.in/gTrpmwXj Steven A. Stahl Research Grant This US$1,000?grant supports promising research that addresses significant issues in the fields of reading and literacy. https://lnkd.in/gt5s5faF

So excited for this conversation and the librarian/OLC/LxL partnership. Congratulations to my colleague John Evans for sharing his learning publicly! I’m appreciating my own inquiry process this year as I look at increasing student voice in the library during our Librarian Community of Practice workshops.

Need help covering registration for the 2025 Literacy & Justice for All Symposium? Scholarship applications are now open: bit.ly/LJ4AllScholarship #LJ4All #scienceofreading #professionaldevelopment

Join us for this symposium that our partners at OSSS are holding on Wed!