LANSDOWNE, PA., January 2023—Dr. Rachel Slaughter (also known as Doc) has been selected to speak at the World Literacy Summit this year. The conference will take place on April 2-4, 2023, at Oxford University, United Kingdom. Slaughter’s presentation is titled “Combat Illiteracy Through An Intense Literacy Campaign.”
Slaughter, global speaker and Gifted Teacher at Penn Wood Middle School (PWMS), is excited to present her research on literacy at the Summit. “I am eager to bring attention to illiteracy, especially in underrepresented communities. At the Summit, I will present my life’s work. Audience members will learn the alarming statistics about illiteracy. For example, nearly 800 million people in the world are illiterate, which means world illiteracy is an epidemic.”
The Summit brings together leaders from 85 countries representing over two-thirds of the world’s population, all with a single focus – advocating, championing, and educating on the vital importance of improving literacy levels across the globe. It’s the world’s largest gathering of international literacy specialists, including NGO leaders, researchers, and academics.
Over 600 delegates and 40,000 people via webinars are expected to hear Dr. Slaughter’s research, including specially designed rubric to choose quality multicultural literature for classrooms and school libraries. Using her research, Slaughter encourages educators to use multicultural literature to address literacy concerns in BIPOC communities.
On the final day of the event, Slaughter will engage the audience in discussions and activities outlined in her textbooks titled Turning the Page: The Ultimate Guide for Teachers to Multicultural Literature and Turning the Page: A Guide to Securing Multicultural Literature for Schools, both published by Rowman & Littlefield and available in all bookstores.
Employed by the district since August 2022, Slaughter is a veteran teacher who has taught school for over 32 years. She is thrilled to represent the WPSD at the European conference. Slaughter said, “I celebrate multicultural literature because the genre is so giving. Teachers who pack their bookshelves with multicultural literature will help move each student to a “multi-culturally literate” mindset.
World Literacy Summit is a multi-day global event consisting of insight and inspiration from pioneers, policymakers, and experts. Many of the sessions are facilitated by the very people who are dealing first-hand with the issues presented. Slaughter, an Educational Diagnostician, says “I am a lifelong student and literacy geek. I can not wait to vibe with other specialists and bring back tons of information to my district.”
Slaughter, who often speaks at colleges and universities, recently presented her research at The 22nd European Conference on Literacy in Dublin, Ireland. Her work was well received, and she was invited to deliver a similar message at the International Conference on Literacy and Society, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. For more information, please visit DrRachelSlaughter.info.
