We are a research center that improves literacy outcomes through innovation reading and writing teaching and learning, professional development, and community outreach. Specifically, our purpose it to:
- Develop high-quality teaching practices
- Measure literacy knowledge
- Prepare future and current teachers for 21st century literacy demands
- Support graduate students research and emerging scholars in the field of literacy
- Connect with families and community partners to support reading across the lifespan
There is much work to be done to ensure that all children in Alabama, and across the nation, develop as confident and capable readers and writers. The UA Belser-Parton Literacy Center will address this goal by supporting the expertise of faculty in conducting innovative research, linking theory and practice for enhanced teaching and learning, and connecting collaborating with the larger community literacy needs.
The Center will support innovative research about literacy learning and teaching. Support, in the form of funding, partnerships, and literacy expertise, will be given to individuals doing literacy work and seeking to develop collaborations within the College and University. The literacy directors also collaborate across the nation by developing collaborative partnerships for projects and external funding, creating opportunities for mentorship of junior faculty, and recruiting and mentoring doctoral students. Additionally, the Center may support faculty in other scholarly endeavors such as applying for editorships of research and practitioner journals, planning conferences, and instituting seminars on topics of interest to researchers, teachers, community literacy providers, and parents.
Another aspect of the Literacy Center work will focus on teacher development with several components. The Center will support research on pre-service teacher preparation and encourage discussions of quality programs. The literacy directors will also support preservice teacher education in field-based settings and include both undergraduate and graduate students in work with children at the Center. Experienced teachers will also benefit from the Center through the work in the school partnerships created to provide professional development and pre-service field-based teaching. Partnerships with the Inservice Center and local school districts may also provide opportunities for supporting the career teaching professional.
The community outreach component will include taking the Center into the community and inviting the community into the Center. A variety of projects will be initiated such that the expertise of the literacy faculty and other collaborative groups would be made available to interested parties. The Center will provide workshops for parents, paraprofessionals, volunteer tutors, early childhood care providers, and others. Providing answers to questions about literacy development and difficulties would be helpful to parents and can be done through a website as well as forums on topics of interest. After school reading/writing support (tutoring) and summer programs for literacy enrichment and support for struggling students will be important outreach activities.
The Center will support innovative research about literacy learning and teaching. Support, in the form of funding, partnerships, and literacy expertise, will be given to individuals doing literacy work and seeking to develop collaborations within the College and University. The literacy directors also collaborate across the nation by developing collaborative partnerships for projects and external funding, creating opportunities for mentorship of junior faculty, and recruiting and mentoring doctoral students. Additionally, the Center may support faculty in other scholarly endeavors such as applying for editorships of research and practitioner journals, planning conferences, and instituting seminars on topics of interest to researchers, teachers, community literacy providers, and parents.
Another aspect of the Literacy Center work will focus on teacher development with several components. The Center will support research on pre-service teacher preparation and encourage discussions of quality programs. The literacy directors will also support preservice teacher education in field-based settings and include both undergraduate and graduate students in work with children at the Center. Experienced teachers will also benefit from the Center through the work in the school partnerships created to provide professional development and pre-service field-based teaching. Partnerships with the Inservice Center and local school districts may also provide opportunities for supporting the career teaching professional.
The community outreach component will include taking the Center into the community and inviting the community into the Center. A variety of projects will be initiated such that the expertise of the literacy faculty and other collaborative groups would be made available to interested parties. The Center will provide workshops for parents, paraprofessionals, volunteer tutors, early childhood care providers, and others. Providing answers to questions about literacy development and difficulties would be helpful to parents and can be done through a website as well as forums on topics of interest. After school reading/writing support (tutoring) and summer programs for literacy enrichment and support for struggling students will be important outreach activities.
History of the Center
The Center began with an estate bequest in 1972 to support the operations of a reading clinic within the College of Education. The reading clinic was established in memory of Miss Belser’s sister, Dr. Danylu Belser, and Dr. Daisy Parton, both of whom were members of the College’s Elementary Education faculty. The Center ran as a reading clinic for almost two decades, initially directed by Dr. F. L. Westover.
