International Literacy Association (ILA)

Small Changes, Big Results: Evidence-Based Strategies That Boost Literacy Success | International Literacy Association October 14, 2025 | 5:00 p.m.-6:30 p.m. What if you could improve student outcomes by making just a few small changes to...

Big results don’t always require big changes.💡On October 14 at 5:00 p.m. ET, literacy researcher and educator Devin Kearns will lead a live webinar showcasing how small, evidence-based shifts can transform your literacy instruction. Register now: buff.ly/Bs4RHFt

Families and caregivers can play a vital role in children's language growth—while also honoring their cultural heritage. Watch as Mai W. Zaru, a postdoctoral fellow at Southern Methodist University, explores how the peer-assisted reading strategy can be used to foster connections: buff.ly/BYbnnQR

A United States map showing Freedom to Read Laws and Bills

In an article for Reading Research Quarterly, the authors visualize more than 100 acts of resistance to book banning. 📢 Their maps highlight students, educators, librarians, and advocacy groups working to sustain students’ right to read: buff.ly/e3afAjJ

A quote by Sonja Ezell that reads “In today’s classroom, the most frequently read children’s picturebooks are approximately 25 years old. Contemporary children’s picturebooks have a crowd, a crown, and the complex, complicated need for a

In a recent article, Sam Houston State University teacher educator Sonja Ezell—who recently served as chair of ILA's Children's and Young Adult Book Awards committee—reflects on the state of modern picturebooks: buff.ly/cPMvHna

Literacy Month 2025 Celebrate the power of reading all month long.

It's the final week of Literacy Month! 📚 To celebrate, we invite you to visit your local library or community reading space. Tag your favorite one below! Let's celebrate the vital role these places play in protecting the right to read.

Access all our free #ILD2025 resources:

Young educators work together to solve a problem

The global teacher shortage is growing—and we still don’t have answers. How can we ensure every child has access to the educators they deserve? Read more in an op-ed for MSN: buff.ly/bQd8B8l

An attendee at the ILA 2018 Conference

Attendees at the ILA 2018 Conference

Want to get involved? We're rounding up all the latest opportunities at @ILAToday:
📌Sign up for a new webinar on October 14, at 5:00 p.m. ET: buff.ly/Bs4RHFt
📌Download our free #ILD2025 toolkit: buff.ly/1N8DnyK
📌Send ILA memories to social@reading.org for our 70th anniversary celebration.

In an article for Reading Research Quarterly, Manchester Metropolitan University Reader in Critical Applied Linguistics Ian Cushing follows the “word gap” across time, policy, and classrooms—exposing how deficit ideologies stigmatize families and constrain teachers: buff.ly/cXdttbR

A quote that reads When students engage in social justice work that incorporates culturally relevant texts, they can simultaneously engage in instruction that recognizes their humanity, such as identifying the beauty, history, and magic behind the names of students who self-identify as Black, Brown, and People of Color.

In honor of Together We Read week, we are reflecting on an article by Michigan State University doctoral student Amber Lawson and early literacy consultant Ashelin R. Currie about culturally relevant read-alouds: buff.ly/ad9rSTf

Learn more about our #ID2025 campaign: buff.ly/1N8DnyK

The JADE Framework

The JADE framework shows how literacy can be more than skills—it can build justice, dialogue, and student voice. 🗣️ Read the new Reading Research Quarterly open access article: buff.ly/cYTdNiM

A graphic that reads read-alouds help learners of all ages grow as readers and thinkers. They promote language and literacy development, strengthen relationships, and foster a love of reading. This is a quote from the International Literacy Association.

This week, we are inviting our community to take the Together We Read pledge: buff.ly/PuOElRL Commit to reading aloud one-on-one with each child in your care for at least 10 minutes every day this week. 📖

Download our Literacy Month Toolkit for more #ILD2025 activities: buff.ly/YIrMDxc

A list of books for read-alouds

Need more read-aloud selections for your TBR list? 📚 Sonja Ezell, a teacher educator at Sam Houston State University, and Laurie Sharp, a senior associate provost at Utah Valley University, put together a book basket by subject.

Check out their list and share your own recommendations below!

A graphic that reads Download our free Literacy Month Toolkit

It's #MyBookVoice week!🎙️This Literacy Month, we're amplifying prompts that encourage young readers to share their stories and speak up through the books they love. With our free #ILD2025 activity calendar, you can join us in sparking joyful reading everywhere, every day: buff.ly/YIrMDxc

A banner that reads Small Changes, Big Results: Evidence-Based Strategies That Boost Literacy Success featuring Devin Kearns

Want to make a bigger impact in your literacy instruction without overhauling your approach? On October 14 at 5:00 p.m. ET, NC State University Goodnight Distinguished Professor Devin Kearns will present practical, evidence-based strategies that can make a lasting impact on students: buff.ly/lxnFzQk

Elementary school teacher reading a picturebook to students

Picturebooks are more than early reading tools—they’re powerful resources for all learners. 📚 Sonja Ezell, a teacher educator at Sam Houston State University, highlights why it’s time to bring them back into the classroom: buff.ly/ZCmD4Wu

Read more about her work at @ILAToday: buff.ly/6Q8qBqU

Two elementary-aged children sit together reading on the floor of a library

TikTok is shaping literacy debates.📱A new Reading Research Quarterly study shows how Science of Reading (SoR) videos spread simplified binaries, promote resources, and amplify personal stories—often framing SoR as the only “right” approach.

Read more: buff.ly/6jM5Dk5

#ILA #LiteracyResearch #EdTech

Do you know a young reader who loves BookTok?🎙️This week for Literacy Month, we are inviting kids and teens to share short videos recommending a favorite read using #MyBookVoice.

Download our how-to guide and get involved in #ILD2025: buff.ly/YIrMDxc

Text that reads: “It seems that the reading crisis we continually find ourselves part of may not actually be about what counts as the science of reading, but rather, the dire need for critical engagement with ideas. While it is true that many students are not meeting established expectations for reading and writing, it is also true that most literacy instruction in schools is not focused on critical engagement with topics and ideas.” —Dana Robertson, ILA President | Literacy Today

In a reflection for Literacy Today magazine, @ILAToday President Dana Robertson shares his thoughts on the rise of misinformation and the importance of teaching critical thinking. 💭

Read the full article: buff.ly/GflvRIp

A teacher instructs a young student using a tablet

AI is reshaping classrooms. But what happens when it enters literacy instruction? 💻

In a new article for @ILAToday, reading specialist Catherine Gibbons explores the opportunities and challenges of integrating AI into teaching practice: buff.ly/WJLp5qe

A screenshot of the comment section of a Catholic school superintendent who tweeted regarding voting for the election.

A new Reading Research Quarterly study shows how teachers in a Catholic school navigated censorship, racism, and community pushback. By tracing the “ghosts” of white Christian nationalism, the authors reveal the struggles and possibilities of equity-focused literacy work: buff.ly/y9IrBed

The School Librarian's Guide to (Almost) Everything Library funding is under threat. Find out how you can show up for libraries: ala.org/showup.

Just published by AASL and ALA Editions: "The School Librarian's Guide to (Almost) Everything," an essential new resource offering strategies, inspiration, and professional guidance for school librarians everywhere: buff.ly/lf4up4g

#SchoolLibraries #Librarians #Education #Books

Readers in the Wild Bingo Card

This Literacy Month, we're challenging families to share their sightings for #ReadersInTheWild week! 🔭 Whether it's on a bus stop or in a café, we invite you to help us map global reading moments.

Download our Readers in the Wild Bingo Card and read more about #ILDMonth2025: buff.ly/Ov9ZXm4

Attendees building Free Little Library book-sharing boxes at the International Literacy Association 2019 Conference

Attendees building Free Little Library book-sharing boxes at the International Literacy Association 2019 Conference

Attendees building Free Little Library book-sharing boxes at the International Literacy Association 2019 Conference

Happy #InternationalLiteracyDay! Since 1966, ILD has affirmed literacy as a fundamental human right—a mission @ILAToday continues to champion.

As we approach our 70th anniversary, we invite you to share your ILA reflections & photos to social@reading.org! Learn more about #ILD2025: buff.ly/Ov9ZXm4

Attendee at the International Literacy Association 2019 Conference

Attendees at the International Literacy Association 2019 Conference

Deadline reminder🚨: Last call to apply for editorship of Reading Research Quarterly! This is an exciting opportunity to become part of a prestigious journal with a storied history of shaping the field of literacy as @ILAToday enters its 70th year.

Apply by September 14: buff.ly/VJBt08N

Did you download a free copy of our Literacy Month Toolkit yet?📚We provide an activity calendar with weekly prompts to encourage young readers to celebrate #ILD2025 at home, in the classroom, and in the community!

Your efforts to promote literacy matter. Download our free toolkit: buff.ly/Ov9ZXm4

Douglas Fisher

Nancy Frey

Meet the minds behind an upcoming webinar: Douglas Fisher & Nancy Frey, professors at San Diego State University + leaders at Health Sciences High School & Middle School. Join them on September 16 at 6:30 p.m. ET to explore strategies on effective coaching in literacy instruction: buff.ly/LycG9kE

Indigenous Literacy Foundation | Indigenous Literacy Day Provides new, culturally relevant books to remote Communities across Australia.

It’s Indigenous Literacy Day! 📖 Learn more from the Indigenous Literacy Foundation, which works with remote communities to provide books, resources, and programs that celebrate culture and strengthen literacy: buff.ly/pMN3MVp

#ILD2025 #IndigenousLiteracyDay #Literacy

The Four Resources Model that provides practical strategies educators can use to scaffold prompt literacy in classrooms.

Introducing prompt literacy:📝✨The knowledge, skills, and critical practices English language learners need to use GenAI effectively. Using the Four Resources Model, researchers show how teachers can scaffold these new literacies in the classroom: buff.ly/a8DA23e

#AI #LiteracyResearch

A wonderful opportunity! Don't miss out. 👇

Literacy Month 2025 Celebrate the power of reading all month long.

It's officially Literacy Month! 🎉What are YOUR reading goals? Start with our guide on how to enhance your read-aloud sessions: buff.ly/iirxPvq Reading together is one of the simplest, most powerful ways to nurture a lifelong love of books.

Access our full #ILD2025 resources: buff.ly/KLByk24