{VIRTUAL} Moving Students Toward Advanced Reading, Writing, and Intellectual development: A Focus on the Science of Reading and Texts with Dr. Alfred Tatum

Alfred Tatum, Ph.D., is a professor in the School of Education at Metropolitan State University of Denver. He has over 18 years of higher education experience and is passionate about relationship building and inclusive leadership. He is a leading authority and one of the nation’s prominent education scholars of African American boys’ literacy development.

Prior to joining MSU Denver, Tatum was the dean of the College of Education at the University of Illinois at Chicago from 2013-2020 and directed the UIC Reading Clinic from 2007-2020. Also during that time, he hosted Boys College for three years aimed to advance the literacy development of Black boys in elementary school. Additionally, he led two Post-Release Education and Preparation projects for young men on intensive probation with Cook County after convincing the juvenile court judges to assign the young males to the UIC Reading Clinic instead of jail. Tatum’s most recent research project, focused on the roles of texts and writing to advance the literacy development of African American males in elementary school. His most recent scholarship focuses on moving U.S. students to advanced levels of reading, writing and intellect development across the academic disciplines.

Tatum has co-authored three books, four major reading and writing programs and 77 academic papers and publications. He authored the award-winning book, “Teaching Reading to Black Adolescent Males: Closing the Achievement Gap” in 2005. His second book, “Reading for Their Life: (Re) building the Textual Lineages of African American Males” was published in 2009. His third book, “Fearless Voices: Engaging a New Generation of African American Adolescent Male Writers” was published in 2013. A fourth book, “Teaching Black Boys in the Elementary Grades” is scheduled to be released by Teachers College Press in November 2021.

Tatum received his Ph.D. from the University of Illinois Chicago and his bachelor’s degree from Northern Illinois University.

Just Right Reader was founded by Sara Rich, a principal, who is passionate about kids, books, teaching and, most of all, making reading fun and accessible for all.

Sara was a principal for more than 20 years, and she specializes in reading and literacy development. She traveled to more than 35 states training teachers and principals in reading and writing skill development. Because of her success in supporting schools to raise reading achievement levels, she was recognized as San Francisco Mayor's Principal of the Year.

And yet, a few years ago, her own daughter, Izzie, was struggling to read. This was a tough realization. So she jumped in and did what she knew and started working with Izzie to support her as a reader. Sara brought home decodable books from school and celelebrated Izzie's growth. When Izzie conquered a reading skill, Sara would determine her new reading needs and start again.

Sara and Izzie felt that the decodables that they read together could be more engaging and just plain old more fun. So Sara recruited a team of reading experts and phonics leaders and started the hard work of making decodables better for students, families, and teachers. Thus was born the idea for Just Right Reader.

Our mission is to make reading fun and for students to learn to read with engaging decodables that are representative of students in America's schools. When students want to read and feel successful, their achievement rises!