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.
Studying the Science of Reading
Practice Assessment
A free online resource for pre-service and in-service teachers looking to build their knowledge of the science of reading.
Handwriting Assessments
Monitor your students’ handwriting development with our new eLearning content, printable assessment materials, and scoring guidelines.
Call for Proposals
Proposals for the 2026 Iowa Science of Reading Summit will be accepted until December 7, 2025, at 11:59 p.m. CST.
Blog
Get to Know Explicit Instruction
Tuesday, December 9, 2025
Implementing explicit instruction techniques makes lessons clear, efficient, and effective.
Literacy Is Every Subject—Social Studies
Tuesday, November 4, 2025
Collaborative strategic reading (CSR) is a research-based, whole-group comprehension strategy that has been linked to improvements in comprehension of expository texts, such as those in social studies classes.
How Does Teachers’ Knowledge of Reading Contribute to Student Learning?
Tuesday, October 21, 2025
An overview of the research on teacher knowledge, the assessments used to measure it, and its impact on student literacy success.
News
Staff Picks: Cozy Thanksgiving Reads
Wednesday, November 26, 2025
Staff members at the Iowa Reading Research Center share some of their favorite books with themes of gratitude to celebrate Thanksgiving.
New Training Grant Prepares Professionals to Support Students With Diverse Needs
Tuesday, November 18, 2025
Project I-CORE will provide 14 education professionals with comprehensive training in Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA) to support students with disabilities.
New LIFTER Assessments Aim to Improve Student Handwriting Fluency
Tuesday, September 23, 2025
The Iowa Reading Research Center’s LIFTER (Letter Identification and Formation for Transcription and Early Reading) eLearning module and application now include handwriting assessments.