2025 Fall Conference

Dec. 4-5, 2025

Birminghma

Chair: Dr. Lorie Johnson

This ILA Committee reviews nominations for ILA Exemplary Reading Award and conducts a site visit.

The James R. Linton Lteracy Grant - 3 ($500 grants)

Grants to celebrate books to celebrate America's 250th Birthday

Book Drive - from grants (Operation Roundups)

Christmas in the Park - passed books out at Christmas celebration

Math Curriculum Night - signing eligible kids up for Dolly Parton Imagination Library

Book drive - donated 1000s of gently used books to first-year teachers

Little Free Library for a campground, Habitat for Humanity partnership to provide brand new starter libraries to the children of new homeowners

Reach out to see who can donate for projects

Holly Jolly Christmas Trolley - Give a free book to every child that attends

Hosting Author

Hosting Alabama Writers Symposium

PD for Teachers

Young Authors Conference

Calhoun County Chamber Grants

Alabama Humanities Alliance

Daniel Foundation

Walmart?

Books for Barbers and Beauticians

Book giveaway at open house

Literacy on the Lawn

Book drive - setting up class library for Pre-K class

Poet and Author winter writing workshop

Monthly Newsletter - "Plain Talk"

3rd grade book giveaway - let teachers order from Amazon

Fall meeting focused on Math Literacy

YAC featured author Dr. Rebecca Giles and ARI

Showcased at Children's Book Festival

tablecloth

banner

storage

website

facebook page

hashtag

• How it works: Select books with strong STEM themes (like Rosie Revere, Engineer or The Wild Robot) and hold a community reading followed by a design challenge.

• STEM twist: Use LEGO, recycled materials, or robotics kits to build something inspired by the book.

• Community tie-in: Involve parents, scout troops, or local STEM professionals to help mentor or judge.

Update local libraries in our region, offer giveaways for dropping off books, highlight where they are in the region. Ask someone in each area to monitor one near them.

• What it is: Assemble take-home kits that pair a children's STEM-themed book with hands-on materials (e.g., Rosie Revere, Engineer + paper, tape, and straws for an engineering challenge).

• Who benefits: Local schools, homeless shelters, children’s hospitals, or foster programs.

• Bonus: Include instructions in English and Spanish, or QR codes linking to video demos.

• What it is: Adults take turns reading aloud STEM books at a park, shelter, or community event—then lead a related hands-on activity.

• Examples:

  • Read What Do You Do With a Problem? and build problem-solving games.

  • Read If I Built a Car and design paper cars to race.

• Where: Title I schools, summer meal sites, libraries.

• What it is: Convert a rolling cart or wagon with STEM materials, books, and challenge cards. Use it at community festivals, laundromats, or waiting rooms.

• STEM twist: Include coding robots, circuits, or sensory science bins.

• Volunteer roles: Sourcing books and supplies, building activities, rotating the lab to different spots.

• What it is: Bring books and reading activities to unexpected places—laundromats, parks, farmer's markets.

• Activity stations: DIY bookmarks, book giveaways, “read to a pet” area with therapy dogs.

Girl Scouts

Librarians

Key Club

Students that need community service hours

Could they adopt a little free library?

Host a book drive for a community service project?

The Marvelous Adventures of Molly and Brooks: Volume 1

APGAR Test - If they can do this for babies at birth, what can admins do in a classroom in the first 2, 5, or 10 minutes of a visit to revive or celebrate that teacher. What are the most important things to look for?

PEARL - Walkthrough

P - Preparation: Learning Targets visible, materials, tools and resources there, smooth transitions, students prepared.

E - Engagement: track the levels of engagement provided to students in a week's worth of lessons within a content area. How much time in the class are students speaking? writing? thinking? Then make shifts in lesson design based on the results.

A - Assessment: formative, questions asked/answered, feedback given, accessible to all students.

R - Relationship: Teacher to Student, Student to Student, Student to Content, Teacher to Content, Connections to Diversity.

L - Learning: Student work, student discourse, artifacts, school/district focus

Done on a google form to collect data and compare over time and with other admins in the district.

Deliberate Differentiation - Book Studies

Differentiation and the Brain

Doable Differentiation

Differentiation is students-centered planning and instruction to increase engagement and learning through strategic approaches to: content, environment, process, product. (Auburn City Schools)

Working to marry PEARL to differentiation.

Do the same book study the next year, admins can switch books or stay with the same book and create content for teachers.

• Take attendance at the door (Ideas)

• provide quick written feedback as last questions on summative assessment.

How can we give teachers feedback that matters?