Hot Topics in Literacy Education for 2015

The International Reading Association released its annual list that forecasts "hot" topics in literacy education. Hot is not the same as important, but indicates an area of high interest or even debate among reading experts.  Conducted by Jack Cassidy and Stephanie Grote-Garcia, the 2015 survey polled 25 leading literacy scholars and researchers to find what's hot and what's not.

2015 IRA LITERACY SURVEY

HOT AND SHOULD BE HOT:

• Common Core State Standards
• Close Reading/Deep Reading
• Digital Literacies/New Literacies
• College and Career Readiness
• Informational/Nonfiction Texts
• Text Complexity
• Argumentative Writing

SHOULD BE VERY HOT:

• Preschool Literacy Experiences
• Adolescent Literacy
• Comprehension
• English Learners/ English as a Second Language

COLD BUT SHOULD BE HOT:

• Literacy Coaches
• Creative Writing
• Professional Development
• Motivation/Engagement
• Struggling Readers (Grade 4 and older)

SHOULD NOT BE HOT:

• Phonics/ phonemic Awareness
• Fluency
• High-Stakes Testing

(Cassidy & Grote-Garcia, 2014)