6-8 | Iowa Reading Research Center

Research Brief: Does It Matter When Students Read the Items on a Comprehension Assessment?

By:

Deborah K. Reed, Ph.D.

Posted on: December 17, 2019

Researchers examined the common approach of having students read the questions before the text on a comprehension test to see how it impacted student performance compared to reading the questions after the text.

Q&A with Cedar Rapids Community School District Administrators

Using a Data-Driven Instructional Cycle to Improve Core Literacy Instruction in Middle School

By:

Iowa Reading Research Center

Posted on: December 3, 2019

Learn about an instructional cycle that also involves coaching and planning next steps as a team in our Q&A with Cedar Rapids Schools’ administrators.

Effective Literacy Lesson: Constructing an Argumentative Claim

By:

Leah Zimmermann, M.Ed.

Posted on: October 8, 2019

Students learn to write a debatable, focused, and clear claim with this instructional approach.

Argumentative Claim Checklist

Students can use the three-part checklist to ensure that their argumentative claim is a strong foundation for the rest of their argumentative essay.

Argumentative Claim Checklist

Making and Evaluating Predictions

This graphic organizer helps students write down evidence they find in a text, make a prediction based on that evidence, write down any new evidence they find, and evaluate the prediction they made. Making predictions is a way for students to better comprehend a given text.

Making and Evaluating Predictions

Research Brief: Meta-Analysis Shows Non-Repetitive Reading Fluency Interventions as Options for Teachers

By:

Leah Zimmermann, M.Ed.

Deborah K. Reed, Ph.D.

Ariel M. Aloe, Ph.D.

Posted on: August 27, 2019

Summarizing findings from a meta-analysis looking at effects and components of non-repetitive reading approaches.

Teachers collaborating on literacy initiative

One District’s Journey to Every Middle School Student Achieving Literacy Proficiency

By:

Carlos Grant, Ed.D.

Adam Zimmermann, M.Phil.

Posted on: June 4, 2019

Cedar Rapids schools are creating a shared literacy instructional vision and partnering with the Iowa Reading Research Center.

Filling the Gaps: Text Sets Build Background Knowledge and Improve Comprehension of Informational Texts

By:

Leah Zimmermann, M.Ed.

Posted on: May 7, 2019

Consider the objective of the unit and what students already know, and then begin building a diverse set of texts for students to read.

Developing and Synchronizing the Various Aspects of the Individualized Education Program

By:

Anna Gibbs, M.Ed.

Deborah K. Reed, Ph.D.

Posted on: March 26, 2019

Setting a goal, monitoring progress and deciding on specially designed instruction through an IEP can help students with reading disabilities achieve success.

Keyword Mnemonics: A Strategy to Build Content-Specific Vocabulary and Unlock Informational Texts

By:

Leah Zimmermann, M.Ed.

Deborah K. Reed, Ph.D.

Posted on: March 5, 2019

Teach students to create keyword cards with mnemonics to help unlock and remember the definitions.