Blog

Image of Karah Kluck and Meg Mechelke

Kluck and Mechelke Recognized by University of Iowa as Student Employee of the Year Honorees

Tuesday, April 13, 2021
Two Iowa Reading Research Center student employees recognized as two of the top student employees on campus.
Family shopping at grocery store in the produce section

Learning English With Your Children and Teens: Using Junk Mail to Practice English

Tuesday, March 30, 2021
Engage the family with activities that practice English vocabulary, grammar, speaking, and more.
Students participating in reading programs. Some students are on iPads and others are writing on paper

Technically Speaking: What is Causal Inference and Why is it Important?

Tuesday, February 23, 2021
In experimental studies, reading researchers try to establish a connection between a program or type of instruction and students’ reading performance by controlling for other things that might explain the outcomes.
ABCs for alphabet instruction with pictures of an Apple, a Baby, and a Cat

The ABCs of Alphabet Instruction

Tuesday, January 26, 2021
Things students should know about letters and why it is important that they know them for reading development.
Green and blue graphic with "Q&A with Anna Canton" and a portrait of Anna

Implementing a Shared Reading Intervention for Kindergarten Students During Remote Learning

Tuesday, December 8, 2020
Hear from the interventionalist from an IRRC evaluation project on her experiences with virtual vocabulary instruction.
Teacher helping student reading book during classtime

The Role of Decodable Readers in Phonics Instruction

Friday, November 27, 2020
For beginning readers, these texts provide a focused and carefully planned opportunity to read words in sentences.
Mother and daughter using tablet for writing instruction at home

Supporting Your Children’s and Teens’ Home Learning: Dyslexia and Writing: How Can Caregivers Help?

Tuesday, November 3, 2020
Help overcome the writing frustrations of children with dyslexia by using a handful of approaches and incorporating assistive technology.
Father helping daughter write using context clues at the family dinner table

Supporting Your Children’s and Teens’ Home Learning: Using Context Clues to Understand New Words

Tuesday, October 20, 2020
Learn three types of context clues for understanding vocabulary in a text and download a graphic organizer for children and teens to use when reading.
Young student and researcher conducting reading assessment.

Research Brief: Predicting Dyslexia With Assessments of Foundational Reading Skills

Tuesday, October 6, 2020
Recap of a study about predicting students with reading disabilities, which is crucial to providing needed supports as early as possible.
A photograph of a group of students in a classroom focused on their work, sitting at desks and writing on paper with pencils.

Technically Speaking: Determining Test Effectiveness With Item Response Theory

Tuesday, September 22, 2020
Learn more about how statistical modeling can tell us what makes a good literacy assessment item.