Our EKC Global Chats series is a space for sharing, asking for support, and brainstorming together.

Each month, we will tackle a different hot topic in literacy with an expert in the field, and then join in some global camaraderie and discussion. It's free to join!

Chat: October 12 | 7:00-8:00am EST

Many of us became educators because we believe every student deserves access to learning and opportunities—but what does that mean when it comes to the texts our students read? For decades, leveled reading has shaped classroom practice, often determining which students gain access to complex, grade level texts. In his new book, Leveled Reading, Leveled Lives, Tim Shanahan argues it’s time to rethink this system.

In this Global Chat, we’ll explore the history behind reading levels, why keeping students in “just-right” books can unintentionally widen opportunity gaps, and how schools can design reading instruction that challenges and gives access to all learners. 

Join us for a conversation that blends equity, research, and Dr. Shanahan’s trademark witty candor—and then meet with global colleagues to reimagine what it takes for schools to open the doors of complex text to every child. Heady work for an hour on a Sunday :).

Facilitators

Erin Kent

Erin Kent consults with international schools around the world. She helps teachers and administrators grow customized approaches to PK–12 literacy that fit an international school’s unique context. Erin taught literacy for many years in urban, independent, and international schools before becoming a literacy coach and then P–12 Director of Curriculum and Instruction where she led a team of 13 instructional coaches and advised K–12 administrators on establishing data-based educational initiatives. Erin has spoken many times at Columbia University Teachers College in New York City and at international conferences on Readers’/Writers’ Workshop methodology, literacy coaching, curriculum development, and literacy leadership.

Timothy Shanahan

Timothy Shanahan is Distinguished Professor Emeritus at the University of Illinois at Chi­cago where he was Founding Di­rector of the UIC Center for Literacy. Previously, he was director of reading for the Chicago Public Schools. He is author/editor of more than 300 publications on literacy education. His research emphasizes the improvement of reading achievement, teaching reading with challenging text, reading-writing relationships, the and disciplinary literacy. Tim is past president of the International Literacy Association. He served as a member of the Advisory Board of the National Institute for Literacy under Presidents George W. Bush and Barack Obama, and he helped lead the National Reading Panel, convened at the request of Congress to evaluate research on the teaching reading, a major influence on reading education. He chaired two other federal research review panels: the National Literacy Panel for Language Minority Children and Youth, and the National Early Literacy Panel, and helped write the Common Core State Standards. He was inducted to the Reading Hall of Fame in 2007, and is a former first-grade teacher.