Literacy Matters Winter 2022

Letter from the President

Missy Lark

Therefore, we desire to promote our profession to maintain and attract those teachers and future educators who have the will and skill to celebrate the love of literacy. We encourage local councils to reach out to colleges and universities in their area to embrace teacher education and teacher cadet programs and to include them in meaningful ways. We know that successful school administrators embrace literacy and can demonstrate and support literacy instruction across all content areas. We encourage all administrators to become the key to teacher and student support, including providing the resources needed to support teachers in the classroom and throughout the school community. We will face the challenges before us in supporting our educators as they serve as the bridge between home-based literacies and the literacies expected in the classroom. We believe this bridge begins with books in the hands of children.

The Palmetto State Literacy Association (PSLA) is committed to the teaching and improvement of literacy in South Carolina. The primary commitment is to promote literacy through the advancement of reading, writing, and communication instruction and encourage literacy as a lifetime tool for learning. In keeping with the mission, the 46th Annual PSLA Conference was held in Hilton Head, South Carolina, with featured speakers and authors along with break-out sessions to highlight effective instructional strategies to promote student growth and achievement. Keynote Lester Laminak reminded us that the most important person is the storyteller and our stories shape the world. Our story continues as PSLA offers Afterschool Virtual Learning Opportunities to support educators with access to quality professional development, including local and national speakers on trending topics in education. Current offerings can be found on the PSLA website, https://palmettostateliteracy.org, under the News tab. Here you will find information on upcoming learning opportunities and registration directions.

Literarcy Matters Make it Matter

Missy Lark PSLA President 2020-2022

We are facing a time where fewer and fewer individuals are graduating with degrees in teacher education programs.

Letter from the Editors

Lisa D. Aker & Koti L. Hubbard

On behalf of all the Palmetto State Literacy Association officers, we want to thank all the teachers and administrators who tirelessly work to support students and instill the love of literacy in their classrooms. It has been a difficult couple of years, and we appreciate your hard work and dedication to education. Our students would not be successful without you.

Dear Readers,

We invited Dr. Katie Kelly, a professor at Furman University, to submit a featured article in this issue. Dr. Kelly’s research interests include critical literacy, multiliteracies, and culturally sustaining literacy practices. Her article, Read Alouds to Foster Community and Critical Conversations , co-authored with Helena Sherman, Kate Massey, and Grace Mather describes how teachers can facilitate conversations that support all students’ cultures, identities, and experiences through read-alouds across the curriculum.

Lisa D. Aker

Be inspired and inspiring, Koti and Lisa

Koti L. Hubbard

| VI | Literacy Matters | Volume 22 • Winter 2022

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