Building on literacy

The conference willemphasize the connection between reading and writing.
By AMANDA C. DAVIS
VINDICATOR TRUMBULL STAFF
LIBERTY -- Area teachers who attend the county's annual literacy conference come away with the tools needed to build strong readers.
The annual event, Saturday at Liberty High School, is sponsored by Trumbull County Educational Service Center.
About 600 teachers from the area will attend the all-day professional development conference which focuses on increasing student achievement by enhancing the connection between reading and writing.
Susan Ross, a TCESC supervisor of curriculum and instruction, is organizing the event, along with Pat Agresta and Carol Marino.
Ross said educators will get to network with each other to learn best practices and speak with children's authors who will be guest speakers.
Other details: This is the eighth year for the conference, and Ross said it complements the Ohio Department of Education's thrust on literacy and Gov. Bob Taft's OhioReads program.
"The conference gives [educators] ideas to take back to their classes," she said.
Carlotta Raymond Sheets, a spokeswoman for TCESC, said she's impressed with the literacy conference because of the quality of authors who take part.
These authors will speak Saturday:
U Sharon Taberski, teacher, Manhattan New School in New York City. Deals with daily issues such as overcrowding, diversity and high standards by keeping her teaching simple and focused. Taberski is the author of "On Solid Ground: Strategies for Teaching Reading K-3," a text often used in literacy training.
U Gail Gibbons, children's author and illustrator from Vermont, who began her career in television. She started putting together books as a young child, binding them with yarn to hold the pages together. She has written more than 100 nonfiction books including: "Pigs," "My Basketball Book," "Christmas Time" and "Apples."
U Eric Kimmel, former college professor and a children's author. Kimmel takes the art of oral storytelling and translates it into written word. His books include "A Cloak for the Moon" and "Anansi and the Magic Stick." He lives in Portland, Ore.
What's planned: In related matters, Trumbull 100 is holding a press conference at noon Friday at Leo's Ristorante to announce its new multimedia literacy initiative and partnership.
The nonprofit agency is responsible for helping to tear down the crime-ridden Westlawn projects on the west side of Warren, near two city schools. It also raised $425,000 to update and renovate 12 city school libraries and buy equipment and books.
John Taylor, of Trumbull 100, said a major public relations campaign is kicking off to encourage parents to read to children for 10 minutes each night.
The idea came from Angie Kalogeras, a first-grade teacher at Lincoln Elementary, who believes that 10 minutes of reading a night could revolutionize education, Taylor said.
Armstrong Cable will provide air time for public service announcements about reading, 7-17 Credit Union will collect children's books to be distributed to area schools and The Tribune Chronicle will donate space for a year, running pictures of families reading.
davis@vindy.com