The Nineteenth National
African American Read-In

Sunday, February 3, 2008, or

Monday, February 4, 2008

Sponsored by the Black Caucus of NCTE and by NCTE

In the spirit of celebration of February 2008 as Black History Month in the USA, The Global Literacy Project, Inc. has endorsed the Nineteenth National African American Read-In Chain, sponsored by the Black Caucus of the National Council of Teachers of English.

This endorsement asks that school libraries, community centers and other partners of GLP consider serving as hosts to create a chain of readers on Sunday, February 3, 2008, or Monday, February 4, 2008. The chain involves reading works authored by African American writers at community sites on Sunday and in school buildings on Monday.

Anyone interested in participating is urged to make literacy a significant part of Black History Month by hosting and coordinating Read-Ins in their communities. Hosting a Read-In can be as simple as bringing together friends to share a book, or as elaborate as arranging public readings and media presentations that feature professional African American writers.

To be counted as participants, simply:

• Select books authored by African Americans;
• Conduct your Read-In(s) on the days designated; and
• Report your results by submitting the 2008 African American Read-In Report Card.

For more details.... Download Information packet here

or go to http://www.ncte.org/prog/readin/107901.htm

We extend our thanks to Dr. Sandra E. Gibbs of the National Council of Teachers of English for her kind invitation to GLP!

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International Mother Language Day

February 21, 2008

The majority of the world's population speak two or more languages, and "mother language" is the one they learnt first. Languages play an important role in the integration process in all aspects of public life but especially education.

Education in many countries of the world takes place in multilingual contexts and so such societies must look towards a philosophy which balances and respects the use of different languages in daily life.

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World Storytelling Day
March 20-21, 2008

Formerly known as International Storytelling Day, the celebration aims to get people worldwide to tell and listen to stories, in a wide variety of languages, and at as many places as possible, during a single 24-hour period (often the first day of Spring). It is hoped that by sharing stories and inspiration, they will learn from each other and create international contacts.

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World Book Day
April 23, 2008

World Book Day was designated by UNESCO as a worldwide celebration of books and reading, and is marked in over 100 countries around the globe.

A main aim of World Book Day is to encourage children to explore the pleasures of books and reading by providing them with the opportunity to have a book of their own. For international information about World Book Day, please click here and here.

Global Action Week
April 21-27, 2008

Every year, UNESCO mobilizes education ministers and stakeholders worldwide for Global Action Week. This annual campaign aims to draw attention to internationally-agreed Education for All goals. Global Action Week is organized every April by the Global Campaign for Education (GCE), a UNESCO partner.

“Quality Education to End Exclusion” is the theme of the 2008 Global Action Week.

World Teachers Day
October 5, 2007

A celebration of teachers and their enormous contribution to learning and social development. Teachers are the heart of the education system. Human civilizations cannot sustain themselves without investment in training and measures to promote respect for the teaching profession.

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Int'nl School Library Day

October 22, 2007

(Every Fourth Monday in October)

2007 Theme:

Learning: Powered by your school library

The aim of this special day is to celebrate school libraries and to highlight the importance of school library programs in the education of our children.

Research shows that student achievement increases with access to school libraries with well-funded curriculum-based collections, strong school library programs, and professionally qualified teacher-librarians who work collaboratively with classroom teachers. In addition, students become better readers when the have access to a school library and books to read.  Specifically:

1. students get a large portion of their reading materials from libraries
2. students read more when they have a comfortable place to read
3. free voluntary reading has an impact on reading comprehension, vocabulary, spelling ability, grammar usage and writing style
4. access to books and magazines predicts higher reading achievement
5. an ample supply of books is key to the fostering of independent and engaged readers, particularly second language learners
6. students who read more typically have higher literacy development as well as higher student achievement
7. standardized scores tend to be 10 to 20% higher in schools with an investment of well-stocked, well-equipped school libraries, managed by qualified and motivated pro­fessional teacher-librarians working with support staff.

Many of the research studies can be found on the International Association of School Librarianship's webpage "School Libraries Make A Difference To Student Achievement," http://www.iasl-slo.org/make-a-difference.html