Home » News Releases » 2009-2010 » April 8, 2010

Hammond Teachers Give Presentation at Reading Association Conference

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Francis C. Hammond Middle School Campus Literacy Coach Jodie Peters and George Washington Middle School Campus Literacy Coach Rob Murphy recently presented at the Virginia State Reading Association (VSRA) conference in Virginia Beach. The presentation, titled "Read All About It: Improving Instructional and Literacy Through Teacher Book Groups," focused on book clubs for staff members, which include the reading and study of professional texts as well as the reading and discussion of adolescent fiction with teachers.

As literacy coaches, Murphy and Peters want to inform staff members about research-based practices and studies that can inform best practice instruction, as well as keep staff abreast of high-interest fiction to which students can relate. Both types of book clubs have been offered for several years at each middle school campus.

Club BILI, Hammond's all-male reading club, and the ESL/ELL Literacy Coach idea were rooted in two professional book clubs held at Hammond several years ago under Ms. Kris Clarks' leadership. The teachers are also on a quest to make this conference a place for secondary teachers to gain professional knowledge, so they are recruiting Alexandria City Public Schools to join on the VSRA Secondary Planning Committee for next year. More information about this committee can be found at www.secondarycouncilvsra.com .

For more information about the teachers' presentation, contact Murphy or Peters at 703-461-4100.