University of Houston, Houston, Texas, USA
Leslie Patterson
University of Houston, Houston, Texas, USA
Transcript from Critical Balances: Early Instruction for Lifelong Reading
DR. PATTERSON: Good morning. Welcome to Critical Balances. I'm Leslie Patterson. I teach reading and literacy and language arts
here on this campus at the University of Houston in the program area of
language, literature, and reading. And we are glad that you're here today. Yesterday we were each hard at work in our own worlds as parents, as
community volunteers, as publishers, as administrators and supervisors,
and as teachers. Today we come together to focus on an important question:
What can research findings tell us about how best to support early reading
instruction? And then Monday, we will return to our work. Somehow we will each be
changed because of what we learn here together today. We do not come to
this discussion naively. We know that these are emotionally charged issues,
and we understand that some of us have a significant stake in the answers
to all these questions. For some of us, that stake is economic; for some, it's political; for
some, it's professional; but, for all of us, it's a very personal stake.
And we are committed to finding good answers to help children learn to
read. We also know that in many quarters this discussion becomes a debate
between two simplistic positions, A versus B or X versus Y, but together,
in the next few hours, we are going to move beyond that debate to dialogue. We have a chance here to listen to the thinking of a number of internationally
renowned researchers, people known for their own research, but also people
who are known for being able to synthesize a wide range of research, to
interpret those findings, and to talk about classroom practice. In your packet you will find information that will help you continue
this ongoing dialogue. There is information about starting a study group
in your community or at your workplace. There is also information about
Web sites and Internet addresses to support electronic dialogue. And there
is also a name tag, which some of you may not have found. Several people
have told me to remind us that we have name tags, but don't do as I do,
do as I say, because I don't have my name tag on me either. So, in your
packet, there is a name tag, so that we can have wonderful conversations
today. The overwhelming response to this conference sends us all a message.
It's a message about how many of us are involved in literacy issues and
how many of us are ready to work toward common goals. The increased numbers
in the last 48 hours may mean that we don't have packets enough for everyone,
so I'm sure they took care of that at the desk and we will mail handouts to any of you who did not get packets today. This day wouldn't have been possible without the support of individuals,
professional organizations, schools and universities, and publishers across
the state and around the country. Dr. Dennis Spuck, Dean of the University
of Houston-Clear Lake College of Education, and Dr. Al Warner, Dean of
the College of Education on this campus, deserve a special thanks. And
Dr. Warner is present, but I'm not sure if Dr. Spuck is here. There is
an Austin meeting and so -- there are important meetings going on all over
the state today, but we do appreciate those -- their support. We are also honored to be joined today by three people from the National
Council of Teachers of English, and if you would please stand up. Carol
Avery is President of NCTE, Faith Schullstrom is the incoming Executive
Director, Karen Smith is the Associate Executive Director. We also welcome and appreciate the support of two representatives from
the International Reading Association, Dr. James Hoffman from UT- Austin,
and Kathleen Jongsma from Northside Independent School District. Both Kathy
and Jim are members of the board of IRA, as is Dick Allington, and we appreciate
that participation. We also have state board members present with us today. Dr. Allen will
give a message in a minute and then Dr. Christie will be here later in
the afternoon. And I understand -- understand that Donna Ballard is with
us today. Could you stand, Ms. Ballard? And there may be other state board members who were able to come at
the last minute, and if so, please stand. We would like to welcome you.
Finally, we are pleased and honored that Robin Gilchrist, the Assistant
Commissioner for the Reading Initiative is here today. Robin, would you
stand and let us welcome you? Thanks for coming. The Texas Reading Initiative is the most exciting opportunity for reading
teachers and researchers in recent memory. It's an opportunity to focus
public attention and resources on the teaching and learning of reading.
We see today's institute as an attempt to support that initiative, and
we are confident that the dialogue today will help each of us continue
participating in that Reading Initiative in significant ways in our own
home campuses and communities. So we appreciate Robin's joining us today. Now, the day wouldn't have been possible without your enthusiastic response
and participation. We have 81 school districts represented, 31 colleges
and universities, 6 regional service centers, 24 other literacy institutions,
and 10 publishers. So that's a wonderful response to this conference and
we appreciate your being here. I am speaking for the cosponsors of this institute as we thank you
all for coming, but then I'm -- speaking for all of us when I say thank
you to the cosponsors who are listed in your program. They are too numerous
for me to list them all, but we really appreciate you. And if there are
representatives of those cosponsors present, would you please stand so
we can give you a round of applause? Thank you. Now, it's my pleasure to introduce two very important people who have
come to welcome you today. I'll introduce both of them now and then I'll
sit down and then Dr. Hoffman will follow me, so we can move along with
the program. The first welcome comes from Dr. Phyllis Gingiss, the Associate Dean
for research from the College of Education here on this campus. We are
pleased and excited about the support from the College of Education, and
Dr. Gingiss represents the college and the university faculty here. And then after Dr. Gingiss, we welcome Dr. Alma Allen, who is employed
in the Houston Independent School District and is on the State Board of
Education, and we do thank Dr. Allen for her hard work on that board. We
appreciate her representation. And then without -- after the two welcomes, without further ado, Jim
and Kathy will join us to facilitate the whole day. We look forward to
a wonderful day together and thank you for coming. Reading Online, www.readingonline.org
Posted October 1997
© 1997-2000 International Reading Association, Inc. ISSN 1096-1232