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.
Iowa Science of Reading Summit
Expand your knowledge of evidence-based instructional practices and the science of reading this July.
Understanding Your Student’s Literacy Data
The Educator Letter Builder and the Understanding Your Student’s Literacy Data eLearning module are two new resources to facilitate caregiver-educator communication about student assessment results.
Employment Opportunities
The Iowa Reading Research Center is hiring an assistant research scientist and a postdoctoral research scholar.
Blog
Cursive Handwriting: Reduce the Learning Curve With CLIFTER
Tuesday, May 20, 2025
Learn effective strategies for teaching cursive and implementing CLIFTER in your classroom.
Literacy Is Every Subject—Math and Word Problems (Part 2 of 2)
Thursday, May 15, 2025
Attack strategies and schema instruction are two evidence-based approaches for helping students solve word problems.
Literacy Is Every Subject—Math and Word Problems (Part 1 of 2)
Tuesday, May 13, 2025
Word problems present a challenge to students, and common strategies for teaching word problems may be ineffective and misleading.
Cultivating Empathy With Dr. Tim Odegard
Tuesday, April 22, 2025
Professor of Psychology and Researcher Dr. Tim Odegard discusses his work supporting students at risk for reading difficulties and his vision for the future of the science of reading.
Measuring Opportunities to Respond: A MOTR of Highly Interactive Literacy Instruction
Tuesday, April 15, 2025
Providing students with ample opportunities to respond throughout a lesson can improve their instructional performance.
Literacy Is Every Subject
Thursday, March 27, 2025
Literacy skills, such as reading comprehension, vocabulary knowledge, and knowledge of text structures, are critical for students’ success in academic subjects.
A Necessary Balancing Act—Fidelity and Contextual Fit
Tuesday, March 11, 2025
Fidelity and contextual fit are complementary considerations in evidence-based literacy instruction. This post introduces some strategies for improving intervention feasibility without sacrificing fidelity.
Data-Based Decision-Making for Core Instruction: Not Just for Intervention
Tuesday, February 11, 2025
Teachers can use data to guide instructional decisions in Tier 1 settings.
Using Curriculum-Based Measures for Data-Based Decision-Making: What Do Teachers Know?
Tuesday, January 21, 2025
Educators can use data-based decision-making to inform instructional practices and improve student outcomes.
How Teachers, Parents, and Friends Can Support Student Reading Motivation
Tuesday, January 14, 2025
Researcher Daisy Pelletier discusses her work on student reading motivation and its implications for parents and teachers.
News
Datchuk Explains the Continued Importance of Cursive Handwriting
Tuesday, May 6, 2025
Iowa Reading Research Center Director Shawn Datchuk explains the potential benefits of cursive handwriting instruction.
Smithgall Recognized for Their Work at the Iowa Reading Research Center
Thursday, April 17, 2025
IRRC Student Writer Sydney Smithgall is recognized as a category winner for the University of Iowa's Student Employee of the Year award.
Introducing New Data Literacy Resources for Caregivers and Educators
Tuesday, February 18, 2025
The IRRC is releasing new resources to facilitate communication between teachers and caregivers about student literacy data.
Staff Picks: Book Series
Thursday, January 9, 2025
Our staff members share their favorite book series from childhood.
National Novel Writing Month: Tips for Long-Form Writing
Wednesday, November 6, 2024
November is National Novel Writing Month (NaNoWriMo)! Learn tips for staying motivated during long writing projects.
Four Ways to Celebrate Dyslexia Awareness Month
Monday, October 7, 2024
We provide ideas of ways to be involved in Dyslexia Awareness Month this October.
New Handwriting and Early Reading Tool Available for Teachers and Caregivers on IRRC Website
Monday, July 22, 2024
University of Iowa College of Education faculty and Iowa Reading Research Center staff have created a new online handwriting tool for early readers and writers.
A Tale of Three Districts
Wednesday, June 26, 2024
Districts in Iowa are making strides in adopting new English language arts materials and implementing structured literacy practices.
Iowa Department of Education, University of Iowa Announce New Iowa Reading Research Center Director
Wednesday, May 15, 2024
Dr. Shawn Datchuk's leadership and expertise will help the IRRC advance its mission of improving children’s reading proficiency in Iowa.
Staff Picks: Book-to-Movie Adaptations
Friday, May 10, 2024
Our staff at the Iowa Reading Research Center has compiled a list of our favorite books that have been adapted into movies, including novels, chapter books, and picture books.