"Cultivate a Love of Literacy" is the theme of the annual statewide reading conference hosted by the Arkansas Reading Association (ARA). The conference will be held November 16-17, 2000, in the Excelsior Hotel and Statehouse Convention Center in Little Rock. The conference will feature nationally known literacy experts and children's authors, as well as outstanding Arkansas educators and authors. Donna Oogle, President of the International Reading Association (IRA), will participate in the state conference activities. Jim Trelease, author of "Reading Aloud Handbook", will open the conference on Thursday morning as the first general session speaker. Other well-known researchers and authors, Elfrieda Hiebert and Mary Ellen Vogt, will serve as general session speakers on Thursday afternoon and Friday morning, respectively. Children's authors, such as John Erickson ("Hank the Cowdog"), John Reynolds Gardner ("Stone Fox") among others, will provide exciting and informative sessions throughout the conference. Sessions are designed for educators and administrators at all grade levels.
The registration deadline is October 27, 2000. Full conference registration (Thursday and Friday) is $45 for IRA members and $60 for nonmembers. A Book and Author Luncheon featuring Mary Downing Hahn ("Time for Andrew: A Ghost Story", "Stepping on the Cracks", "The Doll in the Garden") will be held on Friday, November 17th, and luncheon tickets are $22. A registration form with the conference schedule and list of speakers is attached. A registration form can also be obtained by accessing the website of the ARA at www.arareading.org.
Hotel information is provided on the last page of the registration form. Hotel reservations must be made prior to October 15, 2000.