MRA Café-Coffee and Conversations
Welcome to the October issue of the MRA Café, a monthly publication that connects our members, inspires joyful collegiality, shares insights into literacy education, and celebrates success stories.
Falling in Love with Literacy
Welcome to fall! Are your students falling in love with literacy?
Do they find joy in reading? Are they eager to write and share their stories? MRA 2024 Children’s Literacy Award winner, Lauren Wolk, inspired us all to bring back joy to our teaching of literacy. She shared a critique by Katherine Marsh of “Why Kids Aren’t Falling in Love With Reading | Hint: It’s Not Just the Screens”. The Atlantic essay shares “A shrinking number of kids are reading widely and voraciously for fun”! Katherine believes It is not just the increase in screen time but our focus on more technical teaching that kills the joy.
Here are a few suggestions to bring back the joy and encourage students to fall in love with books and storytelling:
Stock the shelves with books that will excite and challenge kids
Carve out the time for students to read entire books
Value students’ book choices and allow for DNF (Do not finish)
Make emotional connections with characters
Try not to overanalyze a story
Read aloud entire texts for pure enjoyment without interrupting the flow
Model your own love for reading loudly, proudly, and often.
Read what your students are reading and share your excitement
Treat books like treasures and let them be highlighted, dog-eared, and margin-doodled.
Share book talks and book recommendations regularly
Build in daily (pen and paper) free writing
Create class books, poetry walls, writing journals, silly writing prompts
“Are students at your school falling in love with Literacy?”
Or do you know a school where you see a community engaged in joyous reading and writing? Nominate a school for the Exemplary Reading Award. This prestigious honor recognizes excellence in Literacy programming at all levels, K-12, across the state of Massachusetts. Take this opportunity to nominate schools in your area that you think should be recognized for their efforts in Literacy. Learn more here!
Upcoming Events and Programming
Below are events happening this month from our councils and committees. Upcoming events may be found on our MRA 2024 - 2025 calendar
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MRA October Board meeting starts at 4:00 PM for the Executive Board, then the full board is invited to dinner and book and beer pairing at 5:30 PM. The full board meeting begins at 6:00 PM and ends with social time. Are you interested in join MRA leadership, committees, or councils? Join us at Jack’s Abby Beer Hall, 100 Clinton Street, Framingham, MA 01702
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The Nobscot Reading Council’s Fall Interactive Workshop will share insights into the impact of trauma and chronic stress on learning to read. Come explore trauma-sensitive instructional strategies to use at varied abilities and grade levels. Discover the power of books and relationships for developing resiliency and perseverance, facilitated by MRA President, Patricia Crain de Galarce and Maria Paz Galarce Crain at the Milford Town Library, 80 Spruce Street, Milford, MA 01757. Register here.
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Southeast Regional Reading Council (SERRC). Role Models in STEM; Using Read Alouds to Showcase Stem Professionals who are Gender, Racially, and Linguistically Diverse with Dr. Nicole Glen . Fireside Grille, Middleboro. Register at www.serrcreading.org
MRA Community Spotlight
Let’s celebrate developing educators who want to make a difference in the field of literacy. This past year two graduate students received the Donald L. Landry Award!
Congratulations, Jodi Walters! Jody, Bridgewater State University, inspired by Lev Vygotsky, dreams of creating an inclusive, engaging, language-rich classroom. She works to support meaningful communication during collaborative real-life learning activities.
Congratulations, Amanda Vahey! Amanda, Harvard Graduate School of Education, is inspired by W.E.B. Du Bois and sees the genius in all of her students. She believes culturally relevant education ultimately restores everyone’s humanity and cultivates criticality.
The Donald L. Landry Award promotes literacy by annually presenting two education students with membership and conference registration.
The goal of this award includes building student awareness of our MRA state and ILA international professional organizations.
2025 MRA Conference Updates
The 54th Annual Massachusetts Reading Association Conference, Literacy & Language: Words Empower, Inspire, and Transform will be held March 27-28, 2025, with a pre-conference on the 26th, at the Boston Marriott Newton Hotel in Newton, MA.
One more week to submit your proposal for a presentation, workshop, lighting round, and solution court. Watch Adam Brieske-Ulenski, our Conference Chair, describe the conference events, pre-conference institute, and exciting new ways to participate and present here.
The new proposal deadline is Monday, Oct 7, 2024
Registration opens on January 13, 2025!
Literacy Inspirations
“Indigenous Peoples Day is an official Massachusetts state holiday celebrated on October 14! ”
Read about the decision to change the name from Columbus Day to Indigenous Peoples Day.
How might you celebrate Indigenous Peoples Day with your students?
Explore the history of the traditional custodians of the land on which your school is built. Massachusetts tribal map
Experience a fall walk in nature to discover native plants, traditional uses of plants, and local ecosystems.
Visit a local museum that shares indigenous history, art, or perspectives. Mashpee Wampanoag Museum, Historic Patuxet Homesite, MFA Boston, Springfield Science Museum, Aquinnah Wampanoag Indian Museum, North American Indian Center of Boston, Fruitlands Museum
Watch instructional videos like Indigenous Voices or Massachusetts Center for Native American Awareness Preserving Cultural Traditions
Find resources for teaching history with perspectives of Indigenous peoples
Listen to the diversity of languages among Indigenous peoples with this interactive Google Earth tour
Sign up for online Native Knowledge 360 teach-in workshops and find resources to teach about Indigenous Peoples
Share & read literature by Indigenous Peoples See Social Justice Booklist.
Thank you for your dedication to literacy. Together, we can ensure every student becomes a confident and capable reader, writer, and learner.
MRA information
The Massachusetts Reading Association is a professional non-profit organization of individuals whose primary purpose is to improve the quality and level of literacy in the state of Massachusetts. The MRA is affiliated with the International Literacy Association (ILA), a worldwide literacy organization. Our Mission The mission of the Massachusetts Reading Association is to promote literacy for all learners through professional development, research, publications, and advocacy.