A

Q

A

Q

Catalyst

Shanahan on the National Early Literacy Panel 

Report: What’s in Store 

2 Director’s Message

Dr. Sandra Baxter 

3 INSTITUTE WELCOMES BASU

4 BOYS, BOOKS, 

and BARBERSHOPS 

Bringing community together

6 UP Close Interview

John Corcoran writes new chapter

INSIDE

A Publication From The National Institute For Literacy Fall 2008 ISSUE 2

Continued on page 10

NEWS IN BRIEF

The Institute in

Parents Magazine

“Reading to your toddler is one of the 

best ways to boost language skills,” says 

Andrea Grimaldi, senior program officer for 

Early Childhood, who was quoted in the 

July Parents magazine story, I love 

Storytime: The best way to read to your 

toddler. Read the complete story on our 

website www.nifl.gov. 

T o help build a body of scientific evidence 

on young children’s early literacy 

development and on home and family 

influences on that development, the Institute, 

in 2002, funded a group of nine nationally 

recognized experts, known as the National 

Early Literacy Panel (NELP). The panel 

reviewed the research on language, literacy, and 

communication in young children ages birth 

through five. As the panel’s long-awaited report 

nears its release this fall, Timothy Shanahan, 

chairman of the NELP, took time out to talk 

about its findings, what parents and teachers 

can expect, and why the report will be worth 

the wait. 

Shanahan, who served on the National 

Reading Panel, is also a member of the 

Institute’s Advisory Board and a past president 

of the International Reading Association. The 

internationally recognized reading researcher 

with extensive experience working with children 

in Head Start, those with special needs, and 

in inner-city schools, is a professor of urban 

education at the University of Illinois at Chicago 

and director of its Center for Literacy. 

This interview was conducted, condensed, and 

edited by B. Denise Hawkins.

What did the National Early Literacy Panel or 

NELP set out to do?

The NELP reviewed research on beginning 

literacy ability. The National Reading Panel 

looked at traditional school-aged kids and then 

the issue became what about pre-schoolers and 

kindergartners? The NELP was charged with 

taking a good careful look at the early years as 

children develop literacy skills. 

Work on the NELP report has been underway 

for a number of years. For many, the findings 

have been much anticipated. What news is 

in store for those who have been eagerly 

awaiting results and updates about what 

the literature says about the effectiveness 

of instructional strategies, programs, and 

practices for young children?

Those who have never done this kind of 

work don’t realize the extent of the effort. The 

panel has spent a lot of time going through 

the research very carefully and systematically, 

looking at hundreds of studies that have been 

conducted over the years and trying to make 

sense of them and how they fit together. I think 

that the public and the field will find that the 

report will have been worth the wait. 

While I don’t think that there will be any 

big surprises in the findings, there may be a few 

small surprises along the way. The findings will 

Timothy Shanahan, Chairman, National Early 

Literacy Panel Photo Credit: Shannon Greer
2 CATALYST | Fall 2008

CATALYST: cata·lyst (kat-a-list) What Does it Mean?

Scientists know catalyst as “a substance that alters the speed of a chemical reaction

and does not appear in the final product and undergoes no permanent changes; something that causes an important event to happen.” What We Know: As an impartial, but 

important broker and catalyst, the National Institute for Literacy seeks solutions to 

improve literacy opportunities for adults, youth, and children across the lifespan. We have 

named this new publication Catalyst in the spirit of embracing our leadership, innovation, 

and energy in the field of literacy.

DIRECTOR’S MESSAGE

A s we ease out of summer and lunge 

into fall, the Institute looks forward to 

ushering in several new products that 

have been in the works and much anticipated 

by those in the field. Key among them is the 

National Early Literacy Panel (NELP) report. 

In our cover story, NELP Chairman Timothy 

Shanahan provides a glimpse into the 

findings prepared by the incredibly dedicated 

nine-member expert group. They have spent 

the last several years scouring the literature 

on language, literacy, and communication in 

young children from 0 to age 5. The report’s 

findings, when released this fall, promise to 

“fill” some of the research gaps and spur new 

research on children’s literacy. 

For those who have wondered about the 

status of Bridges to Practice, the Institute’s 

research-based training program to support 

adults with learning disabilities, the past 

two years have focused on evaluation. In 

July, the Institute welcomed Debi Basu, a 

neuroscientist, as its new Program Officer for 

Education and Learning Disabilities. 

This summer, our partnership with 

Mocha Moms, Inc. took the Institute, and 

its publications, to a Washington, DC 

barbershop for the launch of the Boys Booked 

on Barbershops program. 

On September 8, the Institute will join 

with the nation and the world in marking 

International Literacy Day. The United Nations 

Education Scientific and Cultural Organization 

(UNESCO) reminds the international 

community of the status of literacy and adult 

learning globally. According to UNESCO, 

“literacy remains an elusive target: some 774 

million adults lack minimum literacy skills; one 

in five adults is still not literate and two-thirds 

of them are women; 75 million children are outof-school and many more attend irregularly or 

drop out.”

John Corcoran, the Institute’s first adult 

learner appointed to its Advisory Board, 

knows these troubling statistics well. Twentyyears ago, the nationally known literacy 

advocate, author, and high school teacher 

described himself as “illiterate.” In our Up 

Close interview, Corcoran shares his plans for 

International Literacy Day; how he hopes to 

use his second book, Bridge to Literacy: No 

Child or Adult Left Behind, to help galvanize 

educators and the literacy community; and 

why there can be “no equal opportunity in 

the classroom or workplace without basic 

reading and writing skills.”

Sandra L. Baxter, Ed.D

Director, National Institute for Literacy

WASHINGTON — 

Institute Director Sandra 

L. Baxter will discuss the 

state of adult literacy in 

the U.S. and its impact on 

our workforce, especially in communities 

of color, during a forum sponsored by U.S. 

Rep. Chaka Fattah (D-PA). 

Fattah will moderate the session titled 

“Read, Lead, Succeed” at the Washington 

Convention Center on Sept. 26 at 9 a.m. as 

a part of the Congressional Black Caucus’ 

Annual Legislative Conference. When Dr. 

Baxter appeared in June 2007 before the 

House Committee on Education and Labor’s 

Subcommittee on Higher Education, Lifelong 

Learning, and Competitiveness, her testimony 

was the only one that provided the Committee 

with information on adult literacy and 

implications for the national workforce. 

John Corcoran, the first adult reading 

learner to serve on the Institute’s presidentially 

appointed Board of Advisors in 1992, will join 

her on the panel. Corcoran is the author of the 

acclaimed book, The Teacher Who Couldn’t 

Read. (Read more about John Corcoran on 

page 6 of Catalyst.) Other invited panelists 

include Verizon Foundation President Patrick 

Gaston; Payne Brown, vice president, Strategic 

Initiatives, Comcast Corporation; and ABC 

News Senior Correspondent, Pierre Thomas. 

In February 2008, Thomas consulted with the 

Institute when he examined adult literacy in 

America in a two-part TV special titled Living 

in the Shadows: Illiteracy in America. The 

segments aired on World News with Charles 

Gibson, and featured an interview with Baxter 

in part one of the series. 

Rep. Fattah to Host 

Congressional Black 

Caucus Forum on Literacy 

Baxter Joins Read, Lead, 

Succeed Panel 
CATALYST | Fall 2008 3

The Institute Welcomes Debi Basu

To Our Readers,

Catalyst, a quarterly newsletter from the Institute’s 

Communications Office, 

contains news, information, 

and features about the 

programs and services of 

the National Institute 

for Literacy. 

CATALYST

Published quarterly by the

National Institute for Literacy

Publisher

Sandra L. Baxter, Ed.D.

Editor and Writer

B. Denise Hawkins, M.A.

Proofreader

Steve Langley

Publications Coordinator

Darlene McDonald

Design Services

Graves Fowler Creative

Address Changes/to Subscribe Contact: 

Editor, National Institute for Literacy

1775 I Street, NW, Suite 730

Washington, DC 20006-2417

www.nifl.gov

About the National Institute for Literacy:

The National Institute for Literacy is authorized

and mandated under the No Child Left Behind 

Act to work on helping children, youth and adults 

to become successful readers. Under this authorization, the Institute’s efforts include supporting 

scientifically based reading research and disseminating information on reading across the lifespan. 

In consultation with the Departments of Education, 

Labor, and Health and Human Services, the Institute 

serves as a national resource on literacy expertise, 

research, policy, and practice.

Read Catalyst online at:

www.nifl.gov

Debi C. Basu, 

the Institute’s new 

Program Officer 

for Education and 

Learning Disabilities, 

joined the staff in 

July 2008. 

Her work at the Institute focuses 

on the development and implementation 

of programs and research agendas on 

adolescent literacy and learning disabilities. 

Basu is a published neuroscientist 

with extensive research experience in 

brain imaging investigating language, 

development, and learning. She earned 

her undergraduate degrees in science and 

biology from the University of Muenster, 

Germany, and from Iowa State University. 

Basu received her master’s degree in 

neuroscience from Georgetown University 

in 2007.

Basu, a German native, also gained 

international training in adolescent 

dyslexia research at the University College 

in London, England, and completed an 

Harvard University fellowship that focused 

on functional magnetic resonance imaging 

or fMRI. Before joining the Institute, Basu 

spent time working and volunteering at an 

orphanage in East Africa. 

Institute to Host Research to Practice Sessions

at ProLiteracy Conference in Little rock

The Directors and Moderators of the National Institute for Literacy’s LINCS 

Regional Resource Centers, Resource Collections, and Discussion Lists will present a 

Research to Practice Institute during the ProLiteracy Worldwide conference in Little 

Rock, Ark. October 1–4. The U.S. programs division of ProLiteracy Worldwide 

is the largest adult literacy organization in the U.S., with more than 1,200 member 

groups nationwide.

 The Research to Practice Institute, a series of pre-conference and conference 

sessions focused on research and the use of high-quality resources, will showcase 

the National Institute for Literacy’s services and address a variety of topics including assessment, basic skills, professional development, program planning, reading, 

and workforce competitiveness. These interactive sessions are an opportunity for 

practitioners to learn more about LINCS — Literacy Information and Communication 

System — projects, the benefits of using the Institute’s online literacy discussion lists 

for professional development, and what the Regional Resource Centers have to offer. 

The Regional Resource Centers, which service the nation, are located in Boston, MA, 

Knoxville, Tenn., and in Oakland, Cal. 

LINCS is the backbone of the Institute’s dissemination system, providing information on a variety of literacy relevant topics, issues, and resources. As national attention has increasingly focused on the quality of instruction and educational resources, 

the LINCS emphasizes access to the highest-quality and up-to-date information, 

especially scientifically based research and resources. To learn more about LINCS, 

the Regional Resource Centers, or how to join a Discussion List, visit www.nifl.gov. To 

attend the ProLiteracy Conference, visit www.proliteracy.org/conference or call (315) 

422-9121 ext. 352. 
4 CATALYST | Fall 2008

FEATURE

 I

n late 2007, the Institute and Mocha Moms, 

a national support group for stay-at-home 

mothers of color, teamed up to encourage 

the development of early literacy skills. That 

is why they are throwing their support behind 

the national Boys Booked on Barbershops 

(B-BOB) initiative. Mocha Moms, Inc. has 

been a B-BOB partner since 2006. Since then, 

more than 30 Mocha Moms chapters across 

the country have signed on to create reading 

nooks in local barbershops. 

Mocha Moms enlisted shop owner, John 

Campbell, who agreed to house more than 

200 children’s books donated by Mocha 

Moms and packets of the Institute’s literacy 

publications for parents. Since its start in 

2004, Boys B-BOB reading nooks have 

debuted in more than 100 barbershops 

across the country, from Florida to Illinois. 

The nooks will feature books by and about 

African Americans, with an emphasis on topics that interest the barbershop patrons.

“The barbershops offer a fun, safe, and 

familiar environment for children to read and 

be read to by caring adults as they wait their 

turn or sit in the barber’s chair,” says Jackson. 

“We are very excited to be an integral part of 

this out-of-the box concept.”

Find Books at Campbell’s

Since 1972, Campbell’s has sat alone at the 

end of Dix Street, along the rough and tumble 

northeast corridor. The dusty pale green walls 

of the shop are crammed with faded photos of 

the famous and those familiar in the neighborhood. There are yellowing funeral programs, 

and relics of a by-gone day. John Campbell’s 

station in the back of the tiny shop, is 

crammed with periodicals, a vintage cash register, jars of Lucky Tiger balm, and tall glass 

bottles filled with lime green Jeris Hair Tonic. 

Campbell’s, where men can still find a 

$5.00 haircut and a familiar place to park 

their cares or just share the news of the day, 

is also where the Institute and Mocha Moms 

hope little boys and their fathers will find 

time to share a book and build reading skills.

When Mocha Moms tapped Campbell 

to be a part of its first Boys Booked on 

Barbershop launch in the Mid-Atlantic region, 

he did what came naturally — said yes. 

“What I try to do is my best to show 

that there are ways to help others. For 

Campbell, that means, “giving back to 

the community.” 

From the Reading Corner

With the sound of clippers humming in 

the background, young readers picked books 

from the new oak bookshelf at Campbell’s 

and read aloud to attentive adults scattered 

around the shop. As older youngsters read 

aloud, two-year-old Ayinde Utsey, a son of 

Mocha Mom, Monica Utsey, picked out his 

own book from the reading nook, proving 

that it is never too early to start reading and 

enjoying books. ■

Literacy Begins at Home and in the Barbershop 

Institute, Mocha Moms Support Boys and Books

WASHINGTON — Sandra L. Baxter, director of the National Institute for 

Literacy, and Dee-Dee Jackson, national President of Mocha Moms, Inc., 

(second from left) greeted dozens of patrons, parents, and children as 

they filed into Campbell’s Barbershop in Northeast Washington, DC on 

June 21 to launch the opening of a reading corner for boys.

Photo Credit: Debi Basu/NIFL

Photo Credit: Debi Basu/NIFL

Never Too Early to Start Reading: Ayinde Utsey, 2, 

made his own book selection.
CATALYST | Fall 2008 5

Advancing Health Literacy 

as Close as Your Computer

Practitioners to Discuss Health Literacy 

Innovations, Partnerships

During September Webcast

October is Health Literacy Month. Join 

the Institute as it kicks off the observance 

with a live webcast on Tuesday, September 

16 at 1 p.m. EST.

Susan R. Levy of the University of Illinois 

at Chicago, Andrew Pleasant of Rutgers 

University, Ian Bennett of the University of 

Pennsylvania, and others will help advance 

the discussion on health literacy as they 

present on topics including innovations in 

health literacy partnerships and promising 

instructional approaches for supporting 

adult learners. Institute Director Sandra L. 

Baxter, will moderate the forum. Check the 

Institute’s website, www.nifl.gov, for more 

information on presenters and how you can 

participate in the webcast. 

Coming Soon: New Researchbased Health Literacy

Curriculum for Beginning 

Adult Learners

Adult literacy instructors will soon have 

access to a new research-based health 

literacy curriculum and instructor manual 

to initially support beginning-level native 

and non-native English speakers. Susan R. 

Levy, Professor Emerita and Fellow at the 

University of Illinois at Chicago’s Institute 

for Health Research and Policy, who 

conducted the research, will discuss the 

study during the Institute’s September 16 

Health Literacy Webcast.

The Institute’s Regional Resource Center 

in Oakland, Calif., developed the instructor 

manual and curriculum based on Levy’s fiveyear research. Professional development 

training on the curriculum will be offered 

this fall. The National Institutes of Health 

and the U.S. Department of Education also 

supported the study. 

NEWS IN BRIEF

At 17, Alexander Cole is already an award-winning writer (center). Cole was one of the young people 

who demonstrated their reading skills and played instruments when the National Institute for Literacy 

and Mocha Moms, Inc. opened a reading corner on June 21, at Campbell’s Barbershop in Northeast 

Washington, DC as a part of the Boys Booked on Barbershops national initiative. 

Photo Credit: Debi Basu/NIFL

The Boys Booked on Barbershop sign hangs over the new reading nook for children and adults in John 

Campbell’s Northeast, Washington, DC barbershop. Adult patrons can take home free Institute publications 

and children can read and share books while they wait in the shop. 

Photo Credit: Debi Basu/NIFL
6 CATALYST | Fall 2008

He still remembers the constant 

childhood prayer he whispered at 

night — “please God, tomorrow when 

it’s my turn to read, please let me read,” and 

being placed in the “dumb row” in school.

 “I couldn’t read, I couldn’t write a 

sentence. I was illiterate,” said Corcoran who 

learned to read at age 48 with the help of a 

volunteer literacy tutor. 

Growing up, Corcoran managed to 

bounce from grade to grade without knowing 

how to read, cheating and maneuvering 

his way all the way to college. In 1961, he 

completed college while still not being able to 

read. Surprisingly, that didn’t stop Corcoran 

from becoming a high school teacher, a job 

he held in the Oceanside School District for 

nearly two decades with the help of dedicated 

teaching assistants and by creating an oral 

and visual classroom environment. Corcoran 

never used the written word in his classroom, 

he recalls in his 1994 book, The Teacher Who 

Couldn’t Read. The book was re-released 

on September 2. His new book, Bridge to 

Literacy: No Child or Adult Left Behind, is due 

out in October.

This interview was conducted, condensed, 

and edited by B. Denise Hawkins.

Q: In your first highly acclaimed book, The 

Teacher Who Couldn’t Read, you unveiled 

an intensely personal account of John 

Corcoran the child who was not taught how 

to read and of John Corcoran the adult who 

lived with the shame of “his illiteracy.” 

But in your new book, Bridge to Literacy, 

you issue what you describe as a call to 

action....“to gather all the tribes within 

literacy.” Can you talk about the need for 

such a call and who should gather with you 

on the bridge to literacy? 

Corcoran: About 25 percent of the 

population learns to read like birds learn to 

fly. They walk by the library and they just 

get it. At the opposite end of the spectrum, 

25-30 percent of the population has difficulty 

processing the language. 

Living life to the fullest in America today 

includes mastering reading and writing skills. 

Reading makes you smarter. There is no equal 

opportunity in the classroom or workplace 

without basic reading and writing skills. The 

dominant language of the classroom and the 

workplace is the written word. Many parents, 

teachers, educators, and policymakers are 

UP CLOSE

John Corcoran, 70, is a national literacy advocate. Two U.S. presidents 

tapped him to serve on the National Institute for Literacy’s Advisory 

Board. And he’s written two books. But 22 years ago, Corcoran lived a 

life of secrecy and shame. He was “illiterate.” 

From Non-Reader to Acclaimed Author, 

John Corcoran Keeps Turning Pages

I couldn’t read, I couldn’t write a 

sentence. I was illiterate.
CATALYST | Fall 2008 7

already on the bridge to literacy. However, 

all literate people need to share their precious 

gift of literacy. They need to understand 

the problem and be proactive in solving the 

problems. Illiteracy affects us all. Being able 

to read and write leads to healthier, more 

cohesive families, confidence, higher learning, 

a better workplace, and a stronger economy.

Already on the bridge are many passionate 

and committed people, yet there is room 

for more. 

Q: There is stigma associated with the term 

“illiterate” and the National Institute for 

Literacy discourages its use to describe and 

define those who can’t read or who have 

below average reading, writing, and oral 

skills. You use the term often and casually 

to describe yourself and others. What 

meaning does the term hold for you?

Corcoran: I consciously chose that word. 

When I first learned to read and shared my 

story, people kept asking me if I was learning 

disabled and they asked me if I was dyslexic? 

All I knew from my own perception was 

that I couldn’t read. I still use that language. 

I do think that (illiterate) is the most direct 

language. It is harsh, but I don’t want 

anybody taking harshness out of it. It means 

you can’t read. People would ask me “what 

level do you read at?” I am a college graduate. 

It doesn’t matter if I read at the third grade 

level or the fourth grade level. I couldn’t read, 

I couldn’t write a sentence. I couldn’t write a 

paragraph. I was illiterate. 

But here I am, someone who’s been 

frightened by words all his life. Now I’m 

choosing words that are my words. 

I would have to say I was learning 

disabled, but I could build a house, I could 

do a lot of things, so why would you think 

I was disabled? I just had a difficult time 

learning to read. It took me so long to read 

because I never had the proper instruction 

and that was really the problem. There never 

was anything really wrong with my brain. 

I never really identified with any of that 

[being learning disabled] and I have a little 

bit of trouble with the term “disabled.” 

“Dis” literally means “not” — not able. Why 

would I want a teacher that’s supposed to 

impart skills to...use the word “not able” to 

describe their student? I’d rather use the word 

“deficiency.” A deficiency is something that 

can be taken care of. 

Q: What are you reading now?

Corcoran: Quiet Strength by Tony Dungy; 

The Purpose Driven Life by Rick Warren; and 

Ishi in Two Worlds: a Biography of the Last Wild 

Indian in North America by Theodora Kroeber. 

I love to read for information. I read history, 

periodicals, short essays, and “how-to” books. 

I read English textbooks for building English 

skills because when I first learned to read, I 

couldn’t write a sentence or a paragraph so I’ve 

had to start from the ground up. Every now and 

then, I sit down and read the thesaurus.

Q: What challenges, if any, do you still face 

with reading and writing? Although you can 

now read, do you still consider yourself an 

adult learner?

Corcoran: I feel comfortable as a reader 

because I can read anything I need to, now. 

With writing, however, it’s a long production 

because I’m still learning grammar. My 

spelling has greatly improved. I keep an 

electronic dictionary with me all the time.

In the first stage of my reading, I referred 

to myself as a “new reader.” Then I became 

a “developing literate” and after 10 years I 

started thinking of myself as a literate person 

who could read independently, probably at 

the college level. I often refer to non-readers 

as “we” because I still identify with the culture 

and experience of not being able to read. My 

wife has to remind me that I’m literate now.

I consider myself a lifelong learner. Even 

as an adult, I’ve always felt like we all have 

something to learn.

Q: What documents, papers, or books have 

you heard about and been intrigued by that 

you want to read but can’t because of their 

level of complexity?

Corcoran: History intrigues me. I 

read high school-level textbooks to get the 

simpler version. I also like to watch historical 

documentaries. The Republic by Plato is a 

book I recall whose density and complexity 

ended up not being worth my energy. When 

reading the Bible, the challenge there is not so 

much the concepts, but the proper names.

I have read the Bill of Rights and I 

understand those concepts. Since learning 

to read, I have an interest in law and a new 

respect for it. I also have an aptitude for 

reading and comprehending legal documents, 

which is rooted in my business experience. 

Q: You were the first adult learner to serve 

on the National Institute for Literacy’s 

Advisory Board in 1992. Did you ever 

dream that you would one day be tapped 

by two presidents (George H.W. Bush and 

Bill Clinton) to help influence the nation’s 

literacy agenda?

Corcoran: It was an honor to be 

appointed by a president and to serve 

under two presidents. I never imagined in 

my wildest dreams that I would share my 

embarrassing shameful secret with anyone 

other than my wife, especially not with 

the nation. A secret I had guarded for over 

four decades became a tool to influence our 

nation’s literacy agenda.

Q: Despite the personal and professional 

strides you have made in the fields of 

education, literacy, and business, do you 

think that you will long be known as the 

teacher who couldn’t read? What is the 

teacher who can read doing today?

Corcoran: I have come to terms with 

the embarrassing and shameful public title 

of “the teacher who couldn’t read” because 

it is an attention-getter that has allowed me 

the opportunity to share my story and issue 

a call to action. Although the headline of 

my experience is The Teacher who Couldn’t 

Read, it is not the story. I get to tell the 

story which is “America can’t read.” I am no 

longer the teacher who can’t read, I am the 

teacher who can read. I am not a teacher in 

the classroom anymore. I am a teacher on 

the bridge. 

Continued on page 8
8 CATALYST | Fall 2008

The John Corcoran Foundation’s mission 

is to facilitate the prevention and eradication 

of illiteracy in children and adults across 

America. We are currently launching a 

Community Read Program to create awareness. 

To date; we have tutored over 2,000 students 

and trained over 300 tutors. We are very busy!

Q: The African proverb says: “It takes a 

village to raise a child.” Who and what will 

it take to ensure that all children can read 

by the time they reach the critical thirdgrade threshold?

Corcoran: Parents are a child’s first and 

most important teacher. Some parents read to 

their children and prepare them before they 

go to school. Too many other parents cannot 

read and thus cannot prepare their children 

for school. In America, we require that all 

children attend school for sixteen years and 

yet we must accept children where they are. 

It is the responsibility of schools and 

teachers to impart the values and skills of 

literacy to all students. Forty million dollars 

worth of research in the last decade has told 

us how to teach little boys and girls like me 

to read. The challenge is to close the gap 

between what we know to be true and what 

we are actually doing. 

Q: How do we do that? 

Corcoran: What is needed is diagnostic 

testing for all students throughout their 

education and proper instruction by properly 

trained teachers. A properly trained teacher 

comes from an adequate university that offers 

research-based training and instruction.

Q: In Bridge to Literacy, you cite Reading 

First as the nation’s most successful early 

reading initiative. Now, as the prospect of 

the demise of Reading First looms, what 

do you foresee as a new or continued role 

for the federal government in improving 

reading instruction?

Corcoran: Because of the controversial 

and emotionally charged No Child Left 

Behind Act (NCLB), the critical component 

in the legislation, Reading First, looks like 

it’s going to be an innocent victim of a 

head-on collision.

We can’t simply blame our schools and 

teachers and we can’t simply blame NCLB 

for America’s literacy epidemic and our 

frustration with school failure. 

Illiteracy crosses the boundaries of 

political parties. We have the blueprint 

to teach children to read, which includes 

properly trained teachers, accountability, 

and remedial instruction. The only cure 

for illiteracy is literacy. I am hopeful that 

the new administration will show courage 

and leadership. It is the role of the federal 

government to improve reading instruction 

and ensure accountability for the sake of 

our children.

Q: As the U.S. joins countries around the 

world in observing International Literacy 

Day on September 8, we know that there 

are little boys and girls who wake up every 

morning like you once did, wishing that they 

knew how to read. We know that there are 

courageous adult learners who are on the 

path to literacy but who ask themselves, the 

question you once asked yourself, “why did it 

take me so long to learn how to read?” 

What will you be doing to mark 

International Literacy Day and how will you 

remember those boys and girls and men and 

women who are struggling?

Corcoran: I will be celebrating 

International Literacy Day in Santa Fe at 

the New Mexico Coalition for Literacy, 

which includes a Proclamation from the 

governor and a press conference in the 

Capital Rotunda. I will remember and honor 

those boys and girls and men and women by 

continuing to remind America that even with 

all of our noble efforts, there is still a massive 

education gap and the epidemic of illiteracy 

raging on. In America today, illiteracy is a 

form of child neglect and child abuse. I was 

once that little boy and that ashamed adult. 

My message is that we can all learn to read 

with proper instruction and it is never to late 

to learn. Today, it is as important to teach an 

adult to read as it is to teach a child to read.

Q: Are you hopeful that the actions you 

and others concerned about literacy 

and learning are taking will result in the 

realization of a new vision of literacy 

in America?

Corcoran: I am hopeful because we are 

a country that believes in equal opportunity. 

However, there is no equal opportunity 

without basic reading and writing skills. 

The demand for literacy skills is especially 

increasing in today’s technological economy. 

In the last decade the research tells us that 

everyone can learn to read and describes the 

proper way to teach someone. The research 

has validated my own personal experience 

and I have met thousands of men and women 

from every walk of life who are ardent 

advocates for a literate America.

Q: What advice do you give to children and 

youth struggling with reading and adult 

learners who cannot read?

Corcoran: Reading and writing are skills 

that we can all learn. It is hard work for some 

of us to learn how to read and it takes time. 

We’re not dumb. Never give up on yourself. 

It’s not too late. I learned when I was 48! I 

can tell the kids “don’t give up on yourself,” 

but it is equally important to tell the adult in 

the room, “not to give up on the child.” ■

UP CLOSE

Corcoran Continued from Page 6

There is no equal opportunity in 

the classroom or workplace 

without basic reading and 

writing skills.
T

he National Institute for 

Literacy (Institute), in fall 

2006, commissioned an 

evaluation of Bridges to Practice,

its well-known program and 

series of materials. The program’s 

signature guidebooks were 

designed to train adult educators, 

screen, teach, and provide other 

services that improve education 

and employment outcomes for 

learning disabled adults.

“The evaluation process is 

nearly completed,” said Lynn 

Reddy, the Institute’s deputy 

director, adding, “The Institute 

set out to determine what was 

working well in Bridges and what 

could be changed and improved.” 

The evaluators interviewed 

Bridges master trainers, observed 

the training of three cohorts of 

new Bridges trainers, and examined Bridges guidebooks. This 

evaluation data, plus state-level 

data still to be collected, will 

inform the recommendations to 

the Institute. 

“The evaluation also included 

a very thorough examination of 

the research on adults with learning disabilities that will help us 

update the Bridges training materials,” Reddy said.

The training guides, including a trainer’s manual, were 

developed through a grant from 

the Institute and were based 

on research with adults and 

youth with learning disabilities conducted in the 1990s by 

the University of Kansas. The 

research underlying the existing 

guidebooks and training content 

is more than 15 years old, and 

the Institute felt it was critical 

to review the research literature again. Five reviewers with 

expertise in learning disabilities 

accommodations, teaching methods, English language learners, 

and transitioning, are in the final 

stages of completing the Bridges 

review. The literature review 

will be published and distributed widely in the next several 

months. Developing 

new materials, the final activity 

in the Bridges evaluation, will 

begin once the literature review 

is completed.

In August, the Institute 

offered two interim training 

sessions for small groups of 

practitioners in Virginia and 

Georgia. These three-day sessions covered a portion of the 

content that will be offered in 

the new Bridges training. They 

included definition of LD, selfdetermination, legal issues, and 

accommodations. They also 

provided opportunities to learn 

and practice training techniques. 

These interim trainings also provided the Institute with valuable 

feedback needed to inform and 

make further revisions, if needed, 

before launching the 2009 training materials. 

Staff members at the 

Institute’s LINCS Regional 

Resource Center at the University 

of Tennessee managed the interim 

training sessions and “have done a 

terrific job,” Reddy said. LINCS, 

which stands for the Literacy 

Information and Communication 

System, is the Institute’s Internetbased network of literary partners 

and resources. Tennessee is one of 

three Regional Resources Centers 

that serve the nation. When the 

2009 training is launched, the 

Regional Resource Centers will 

take on new responsibilities as 

the primary liaison between the 

states and the Institute concerning Bridges. 

Said Reddy: “The Centers’ 

strong relationships with the 

states in their regions will enable 

the Institute to offer LD training 

in a timely, efficient manner that 

best responds to states’ needs.” ■

Compiled by Debi Basu, program officer for 

Education and Learning Disabilities

Q: What causes Learning Disabilities?

A: A learning disability is a neurological 

disorder (in very simple terms, it results from 

an individual’s brain being “wired” differently). 

Scientific evidence from genetic studies 

and brain research clearly demonstrates the 

neurobiological basis of learning disabilities, 

although the exact causes of such abnormalities 

are still not well understood.

Q: Do genetics play a factor in Learning 

Disabilities?

A: Learning disabilities are now thought to 

have a genetic basis. They often run in families, 

as observed in twin and sibling studies and 

family pedigree analyses. These studies 

have shown that a family history of learning 

disabilities significantly increases the probability 

of an individual having a learning disability. 

Researchers are still trying to understand how 

exactly such genes get passed on. 

Sources for this compilation include: 

Learning Disabilities Association of America: 

http://www.ldanatl.org 

“Neurobiological Basis of Learning Disabilities,” 

C. Fiedorowicz et al. (1999) 

“Genetic and Neurobiological Bases of 

Language and Reading Disabilities,” The 

Connection between language and Reading 

Disabilities. Catts and Kamhi (Eds.), Lawrence 

Erlbaum (2005) ■

Two-Year Bridges to Practice Evaluation Nears Completion 

Examination of LD Research, State Data Will Inform 2009 Training Materials

The Science of Learning Disabilities

CATALYST | Fall 2008 9
10 CATALYST | Fall 2008

A

A

Q

Q

give folks a higher level of certainty than they have had in the past 

and provide guidance on the actions that they can take to improve 

kids’ early literacy and language development. 

Without tipping your hand too much, can you talk about what you 

learned from doing this research and perhaps some unexpected 

things this study has yielded?

One of the things studies like this uncover are gaps. There are 

a lot of questions that practitioners and parents have that can’t be 

answered with the existing research. One of the things that this study 

has done is identified for the research community open questions 

where we don’t have sufficient knowledge. What we have found will 

guide both government research priorities and also individual choices 

of researchers into areas where we need answers.

What is in store for parents and classroom teachers looking 

forward to the report’s findings?

Both for parents and for people who teach young children, this 

[NELP report] is really going to give them a useful outline of the 

types of things that need to be taught; the things that have worked 

effectively in the past. I don’t know if it will make their work any 

easier, but it will make it more effective by allowing them to focus on 

what really matters in early development. 

How does your experience and work on the NELP compare to 

your work on the National Reading Panel?

As a National Reading panelist, I was immersed in reviewing the 

research on particular questions. One of the things that you have to do 

when multiple research questions are being pursued is make sure that 

they are all getting adequate answers and the same level of attention.

Who are the panelists serving with you on the NELP? What types 

of expertise do they represent?

The individuals on this panel are professors; they include 

those who have taught pre-school and have done research on preschool literacy. They are physicians, curriculum designers, and 

professional development experts. They really have a pretty wide 

set of experiences in this area and many of them are parents and 

grandparents. They bring a lot of expertise, especially in the early 

years of kids’ learning. 

How many research questions did the NELP panel pursue? What 

were they?

The panel looked at four major questions. The first was what 

counts as early literacy development? When the National Reading 

Panel looked at school-aged kids, it didn’t want to get bogged down 

in the definitions and disagreements. It accepted any measures of 

reading and writing that were valid and that the public could look at 

and say, “Yes, that’s about reading and writing.” 

The NELP panel had a problem. Young children — three and 

four year olds — don’t read and write. The question becomes, how 

Shanahan Continued from Page 1

There are a lot of questions that practitioners 

and parents have that can’t be answered with the 

existing research.

FEATURES
CATALYST | Fall 2008 11

A

Q

do you know if a program or intervention is having a positive effect 

if you can’t measure it using reading and writing measures? The panel 

set out to find what early measures of literacy and language were 

really good predictors of success in reading and writing. 

Give us a glimpse into how the NELP panel pursued answers to 

this question?

We had to review hundreds of studies on that one question alone 

to identify those measures and variables that were going to matter. 

Once we identified those, panelists found all of the studies that had 

been published where somebody tried to improve young kid’s literacy 

development — every intervention, every program. Because there 

were fewer studies on young children, it was possible to say let’s look 

at all experimental studies where somebody tried to improve kids’ 

literacy. The panel searched and found a couple hundred articles that 

fit into various categories. They then used those studies to determine, 

generally, what programs and efforts improve kids’ early literacy. 

Once they knew what programs and interventions were actually 

effective, they then were able to ask questions about under what 

circumstances and context were they effective? Are there particular 

child characteristics that make a difference in whether things work or 

not? They looked at what constitutes literacy for young children and 

asked what can we do to improve literacy measures in those early years? 

These are some interesting questions that I think pre-school 

teachers and parents are going to be interested in the answers to. 

I understand that the NELP report and its findings will be adapted 

and shared with the business sector and others outside of the 

literacy and education communities.

If you look at the impact of literacy in society, it is either 

enabling or undermining people’s ability to participate in the 

workplace effectively. It’s impacting people’s ability to take care of 

their health needs; it has an influence on whether people are able 

to stay out of the criminal justice system, and it dictates people’s 

engagement in civic life. 

We are starting to get a picture of what kinds of things need to 

be done in society to ensure that we get to higher levels of literacy. 

Those things have to be not only of interest to a parent, but they 

need to be of interest to everybody who has a stake in this society. 

Business leaders want to make a profit and a workforce who can do 

the things that they need them to do. They want to be able to give 

value added in their products and services, but that’s only going to 

happen if we have a sufficiently literate society. 

The NELP report was developed in partnership with the National 

Institute of Child Health and Human Development, the U.S. 

Department of Education, and the U.S. Department of Health and 

Human Services with funding from the National Institute for Literacy. 

The Panel was convened under the auspices of the National Center for 

Family Literacy. ■

Young children — three and four year olds — don’t 

read and write. The question becomes, how do you 

know if a program or intervention is having a positive 

effect if you can’t measure it using reading and 

writing measures?
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