International Literacy Association (ILA)
@ilatoday.bsky.social
260 followers 450 following 220 posts
ILA is a global advocacy and membership organization dedicated to transforming lives through literacy.
Posts Media Videos Starter Packs
What’s next for bilingual education? 🏫 In an article for Literacy Today magazine, Claudia González and Alberto Lozano discuss lessons learned from two decades of English language teaching in Colombia—and how literacy and teacher support can drive lasting change: buff.ly/Jo22lqP
A magazine article that reads "Stuck at Survival English, systemic challenges in Colombian literacy education by Claudia González and Alberto Lozano" An article that reads "We both learned English in Colombia, and for a time, our experiences
seemed quite similar. We studied in schools where English was part
of the curriculum from an early age, giving us access to the language
in structured and consistent ways. Literacy played a key role in
shaping our learning process, and English became more than a
subject—it was a tool we could use to think and communicate."
New research published in Reading Research Quarterly asks: How free are teachers to choose what students read? 📚 A national survey of 1,250 elementary educators reveals patterns of autonomy, access, and inequity shaping reading instruction across U.S. classrooms: buff.ly/UTqroXE
A graphic titled "Teacher Autonomy in Text Choices for Elementary Reading Instruction"
How can we ensure new teachers are classroom ready? 🍎 On October 22 at 5:00 p.m. ET, join James Darin Pope (Tuscaloosa City Schools) and Kelly Davis (Towson University) for a fireside chat on innovative approaches to recruiting and supporting educators: buff.ly/SU2deKh
A graphic promoting the webinar "Classroom Readiness: Innovative Approaches to Recruiting and Supporting New Teachers" featuring James Darin Pope
ICYMI: The latest issue of Literacy Today magazine is out now! 📰 Inside, you will find topics that explore the complexities—and challenges—of literacy coaching. Read the full issue: buff.ly/zYBZIN0
A banner that reads "Get the latest issue of Literacy Today. Now available!"
In an article for the latest issue of Literacy Today magazine, ILA Board Vice President Danielle V. Dennis reflects on how book banning limits access, silences voices, and weakens literacy: buff.ly/2MfqO54

#ILA #BannedBooksWeek
A quote that reads: "While proponents of book bans often argue that they are protecting children from inappropriate content, the broader impact is a reduction in the diversity and quantity of books available to young readers. When students can’t find books that resonate with them, they are less likely to read."
What #LiteracyWins did our community share so far? This #BannedBooksWeek, we're uplifting the stories of local literacy advocacy, like the Books Save Lives Grant from We Need Diverse Books: buff.ly/hVEPQql

Share your local "wins" in the comments! 📖
A library that received the Books Save Lives Grant
Access to books shouldn’t depend on a ZIP code. 📚 Central Michigan University Marie Berrell Endowed Professor of Literacy Tiffany A. Flowers offers 10 practical, community-driven strategies to ensure every child has the chance to read and thrive: buff.ly/4eDfPUL
A teacher on a laptop in a classroom
In this short video, University of Missouri-St. Louis Associate Professor Shea Kerkhoff introduces a new study exploring how dialogic argument writing can help students engage with evidence, question assumptions, and strengthen civic reasoning. Read the open access article: buff.ly/SD0kKlR
This #BannedBooksWeek, we want to hear about your wins. Did you design an engaging book display? Organize to overturn a book ban? Discuss an article promoting literacy access for all?

Share your stories with us by using the hashtag #LiteracyWins. We will unveil a “wins wall” of all submissions. 🌎📚
An image of elementary-aged children gathered around a globe model. The text reads "We're celebrating #LiteracyWins across the globe—share yours!"
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
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...
buff.ly
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
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 United States map showing Freedom to Read Laws and Bills
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
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
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:
Literacy Month 2025
Celebrate the power of reading all month long.
buff.ly
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
Young educators work together to solve a problem
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 [email protected] for our 70th anniversary celebration.
An attendee at the ILA 2018 Conference Attendees at the ILA 2018 Conference
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
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
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.
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
The JADE Framework
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 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.
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 list of books for read-alouds
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 graphic that reads Download our free Literacy Month Toolkit
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
A banner that reads Small Changes, Big Results: Evidence-Based Strategies That Boost Literacy Success featuring Devin Kearns
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
Elementary school teacher reading a picturebook to students
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
Two elementary-aged children sit together reading on the floor of a library