Iowa Reading Research Center | The University of Iowa

IRRC staff member speaks with a mother and two kids at a booth at the Iowa State Fair.

Student Reading Success Through Research and Collaboration

Helping Students Read Better and Learn More

The Iowa Reading Research Center strives to improve the literacy skills of all students through research with students, professional learning for educators, and technical assistance for school districts.

Learning Disability Hub

The Learning Disability Hub provides resources to educators and caregivers interested in learning about characteristics of students with learning disabilities and how to support and advocate for these students.

Director Search

The University of Iowa College of Education, in partnership with the Iowa Department of Education, invites applications for the position of Director of the Iowa Reading Research Center.

Lifty and Clifty climb a mountain with the sun setting in the background and cursive and print letters in the sky

Handwriting Hub

Access training, interactive tools, instructional materials, and more for print and cursive handwriting instruction.

Blog

Four teachers have a discussion while sitting around a table

Reporting of Fidelity and Alignment in Research on Tier 2 Reading Interventions

Tuesday, November 10, 2026

Kimberly McFadden, MEd, PhD

The researchers in this study examined the extent to which published studies of Tier 2 interventions reported information about fidelity and instructional alignment.

Preschool students hold up foam letters of the alphabet

D Is for Decontextualized Instruction

Tuesday, October 27, 2026

Meg Mechelke,

Gamze Karaer, MA, PhD,

Kate Will, MA

Preschool students who receive decontextualized alphabet instruction demonstrate higher outcomes in phonemic awareness and letter-name and letter-sound identification accuracy and fluency than those who receive contextualized instruction.

A teacher and student looking at word flash cards at a desk.

Reading Interventions for Students With or at Risk for Dyslexia: What Does the Research Say?

Tuesday, October 20, 2026

Lindsay Shultz, MEd

What do we know about effective literacy instruction for students with or at risk for dyslexia? This post provides a breakdown of research by Hall et al. (2023) that analyzed forty years of reading intervention research.

News

New Learning Disability Hub Provides Resources to Support All Learners

Tuesday, October 6, 2026

Olivia Tonelli

A screenshot of the IRRC's Letter-Sound Spark app

New Spark Early Literacy Hub Supports Early Literacy Skills at Home

Wednesday, May 27, 2026

Olivia Tonelli

Through the Spark Early Literacy Hub, caregivers can access the tools they need to support their children’s early literacy skills.

To Recognized for Her Work at the Iowa Reading Research Center

Friday, April 17, 2026

Olivia Tonelli,

Kate Will, MA

Kristin To has been recognized as a University of Iowa Student Employee of the Year award winner for her work as a graphic storyteller and computer programmer at the Iowa Reading Research Center.