Professor Pamela Snow summarises The Reading League Conference in detail. This is a longish post but well worth reading for anyone interested in the issues of the reading debate - and also this event described in the post is heartwarming and encouraging for those of us who have spent decades working hard to promote evidence-informed reading instruction:
https://pamelasnow.blogspot.com
The Reading League Conference: A Tour de Force and a Force for Good
In late October, I had the great honour of attending and participating in The Reading League Conference, in Syracuse, upstate New York. The Reading League was formed just a couple of years ago, with the aim of advancing the awareness, understanding, and use of evidence-based reading instruction, and has the byline When we know better, we do better. It is the brain-child of Dr Maria Murray, a former academic at State University of New York (Oswego), ably supported by a team including Drs Jorene Cook, Heidi Beverine-Curry, Michelle Storie, and Ms Stephanie Finn (and more - see here).
The enthusiasm, sense of shared endeavour, and demonstrable capacity for hard work these people display is nothing short of inspirational. It was therefore, additionally wonderful to learn at the conference that The Reading League has been the recipient of a large philanthropic donation ($US9million) from the Pleasant T. Rowland Foundation. We can only dream of philanthropy on this scale in Australia, but I am confident it will be put to good use, both to expand national programs for teachers, and to commence an endowment fund. My congratulations to The Reading League team on this oustanding achievement, especially so soon after its creation.