Ruth E. Quiroa

Title:

Associate Professor, Reading & Language

Programs/Classes Taught:

Ed.D Reading & Language
Language, Linguistics, & Literacy

M.Ed. & C.A.S. Language, Literacy & Library Education
Survey of Literature for Children & Adolescents, K-12
Adolescent Literature
Survey of Multicultural Literature, K-12
Integrating the Language Arts
Language Development & Variation
Seminar in Language Literacy, & Library Education
Special Topics: Exploring Latino/a Cultures through K-12 Literature; Latino Families & Students (K-12): Literacy & Literature; Meeting the Needs of K-12 English Language Learners

M.Ed. & C.A.S. Reading
Reading & Language Arts Methods for Culturally & Linguistically Diverse Students, K-12
Reading & Bilingualism

M.A.T. Elementary and Middle Level Teacher Education
Literacy Methods I: Grades K-4
Literacy Methods II: Grades 5-9
Language Arts Methods, K-9
Survey of Reading Methods, K-12

B.A Elementary Teacher Education
Reading and Language Arts Methods, K-9

Areas of Expertise:

• Latino/a-themed literature (PreK-12)
• Multicultural and general literature for children and adolescents (PreK-12)
• Bilingual and ELL Education
• Literacy for culturally and linguistically diverse students
• Language, literacy, and culture

Biography:

Ruth E. Quiroa is an Associate Professor in Reading & Language where she teaches graduate courses in literature for children and adolescents, inclusive of multicultural literature, as well as other language, literacy, and library education program courses. She formerly taught kindergarten and bilingual second grade (Spanish/English), and served as coordinator for an after-school program at a middle school. Dr. Quiroa completed her doctoral degree in the Department of Curriculum and Instruction at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, specializing in bilingual education and children's literature. In her dissertation study she examined the responses of first graders, all Mexican-origin immigrants or children of immigrants, to Mexican American-themed bilingual picture storybooks read aloud in Spanish. In 2006 her dissertation monograph was a finalist in the International Reading Association’s Outstanding Dissertation of the Year Award.

Dr. Quiroa's research interests include investigating the responses of Latino students to children’s literature with Latino themes, as well as the impact of teachers’ cultural and linguistic awareness on literacy instruction for bilingual learners, and the teacher's role in mediating culturally specific texts with Latino children. She is currently investigating the Common Core State Standards’ Text Exemplars for aspects of gender, ethnicity/race, publication dates, and “classic status,” together with the potential messages this body of books may send to teachers, librarians, school districts, and publishing companies.

Ruth has also served in leadership positions for Latino/a-themed book award review committees (Américas Award for Children and Adolescents, Pura Belpré Award), and the Illinois Language & Literacy Council, while also presenting at local, state, national, and international conferences and workshops.

Education:

Ph.D., Education, Curriculum & Instruction / Language & Literacy / ELL-Bilingual Education
University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, 2004.

M.Ed., Education, Curriculum & Instruction / Language & Literacy / ELL-Bilingual Education
University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, 1998

Multiple Subjects Elementary Teaching Credential
California State University, Los Angeles, 1992

B.A., Psychology
Olivet Nazarene University, 1987

Research and Interests:

AREAS OF RESEARCH
Common Core State Standard text exemplars & multicultural themes, publication dates, & gender
Bilingual learners & Common Core State Standards
Impact of multicultural literature on teacher practice
Effect of teachers' cultural & linguistic awareness on literacy instruction
Literature for children & adolescents, particularly multicultural & international literature
Responses of Latino/a students to literature with Latino/a themes
Wordless picture books and ELL students

PUBLICATIONS (by date)
Quiroa, R. E. (in press). Promising portals and safe passages: A review of preK-12 Latino/a-themed literature. In J. C. Naidoo & S. Park (Eds.) Diversity in Youth Literature: Opening Doors Through Reading. ALA Editions.

Cummins, S. & Quiroa, R. E. (2012). Teaching Tips: Teaching for writing expository responses to narrative texts. Reading Teacher, (65)6, 381-386.

Quiroa, R. E. (2010). Bailando ante el espejo literario / Dancing in front of the literary mirror: Responses to culturally familiar themes in picture storybooks. In J. C. Naidoo (Ed.) Celebrating cuentos: Promoting Latino children's literature and literacy into classrooms and libraries. Westport, CT: Libraries Unlimited.

Quiroa, R. E. (2010). The story of the Américas Collection: Gathering preK-12 Spanish language books and resources. In J. C. Naidoo (Ed.) Celebrating cuentos: Promoting Latino children's literature and literacy into classrooms and libraries. Westport, CT: Libraries Unlimited.

Yokota, J., Teale, W., & Quiroa, R. E. (2008). Literacy development for culturally diverse students. In S. B. Wepner & D. Strickland (Eds.) The Administration and Supervision of Reading Programs. Teachers College Press.

Barrera, R. B. & Quiroa, R. (2003). The use of Spanish in Latino children's literature in English: What makes for cultural authenticity? In D. L. Fox & K. G. Short (Eds.). Stories matter: The complexity of cultural authenticity in children's literature. Urbana, IL: National Council of Teachers of English.

Barrera, R. B., Quiroa, R. E., & Validivia, R. (2003). Spanish in Latino children's picture storybooks in English: Its use and textual effects. In A. Willis, G. García, V. Harris and R. Barrera (Eds.) Multicultural issues in literacy, research, and practice. Mahwah, NJ: Lawrence Erlbaum.

Quiroa, R. E. (2000). The use and role of multiethnic children's literature in family literacy programs: Realities and possiblities. The New Advocate, 14(1), 43-52.

Barrera, R. B., Quiroa, R. E., & West-Williams, C. (1999). Poco a poco: The continuing development of Mexican American children's literature in the 1990s. The New Advocate, 12(4), 315-330.

SELECTED PRESENTATIONS
"Reading the Américas," a presentation at the Américas Award K-12 Teacher Workshop: "Using children's literature to explore Latin American/Latino cultural heritage," sponsored by Tulane University and Vanderbilt University's Centers for Latin American Studies & Teaching for Change; Washington, D. C. October 6, 2012. Co-presenter and award initiator, Julie Kline. http://stonecenter.tulane.edu/articles/detail/1090/Using-Childrens-Literature-to-Explore-Latin-AmericanLatino-Cultural-Heritage

"Latino/a-Themed K-12 Literature and the Impact of the Child's Perspective on Educators." Featured Sessions, Illinois Reading Council Conference, Springfield, IL, April 2012.

"New And Familiar Worlds: Latino/a-themed Literature For Pre-K-High School, 2001-2010." Presentations at the Alice Hagar Curriculum Center, Murphy Library at the University of Wisconsin-La Crosse, April 2011. See: http://www.uwlax.edu/murphylibrary/departments/curriculum/2011program.html

"Portals to Our Future: Latino/a-Themed Literature for Children and Adolescents, 2001-2010." Presentation on panel, "Culture and Literacy: Portals to our History," National Council of Teachers of English annual convention, Chicago, IL, November 2011.

Peaceful Crossings with Wordless Picture Books." International Board on Books for Young People regional conference, Fresno, CA, October, 2011.

"Best practices required: Complicating and shifting a methods-only frame to ELL instruction," National Council of Teachers of English (NCTE), San José, TX, November 2008. Co-presenter, Dr. Jennifer Berne.

"Using Latino-Themed Literature as a Basis for Assessment-Driven Comprehension Instruction with ELL Children of Mexican Heritage," International Reading Association's World Congress, San José, Costa Rica, July 2008. Co-presenters: Dr. Sue McMahon, Dr. Sunday Cummins.

"Using culturally responsive literature," Pre-Conference Institute titled Leading Literacy Programs, International Reading Association's Annual Conference, Atlanta, Georgia, May 2008. Institute coordinators: Dr. Shelley B. Wepner & Dr. Donna S. Strickland.

"Metacognition and Second Language Reading Comprehension," workshop presentation for English as a Foreign Language (EFL) K-12 pre-service and in-service teachers at the Universidad Católica de Santo Tomás in Concepción, Chile, July 2007.

"Eso, eso, eso" That's it!: The role of the teacher in the literary interactions of young Mexican-origin children with Mexican American-themed picture storybooks," National Reading Conference (NRC), December 2006.

RECENT PROFESSIONAL ENGAGEMENT
Member of the Review Committee for the 2013 Pura Belpré Award for Children's Literature, January 2012-January 2013. See: http://www.ala.org/alsc/awardsgrants/bookmedia/belpremedal and http://www.ala.org/alsc/awardsgrants/bookmedia/belpremedal/belprslct

Chair (2011-2012) and Member (2009-2012) of the Review Committee for the Américas Award for Children's and Young Adult Literature of the Consortium of Latin American Studies Programs (CLASP). Participated in the 2010, 2011, and 2012 Award Ceremonies at the Library of Congress in Washington, D.C. See Award Ceremony webcasts: http://www4.uwm.edu/clacs/aa/index.cfm

Past President (2011-2012), President (2010-2011), Vice President (2009-2010), and University Representative (2007-2010) of the Illinois Language & Literacy Council (ILLC), an area council of the Illinois Reading Council that sponsors the annual Young Author's Conference at Illinois State University, Bloomington, IL.

Co-founder of the Américas Collection of books for Children and Adolescents at the National Louis University library with Barb Evans, NLU Library Faculty. This is a collection of 1200+ Spanish, bilingual, and Latino/a-themed children's and young adult books, with the majority originally published in Spanish by Latin American authors & illustrators. http://vufind.carli.illinois.edu/vf-nlu/Search/Home?lookfor=%22americas+collection%22&type=all&start_over=1&submit=Find