Iowa Reading Research Center | The University of Iowa

A teacher and student reading a picture book together

Student Reading Success Through Research and Collaboration

About Us Contact Us Become a School/District Partner

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.

Shawn Datchuk and Derek Rodgers present to an audience

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.

A photo of four IRRC staff members and the text "join our team"

Employment Opportunities

The Iowa Reading Research Center is hiring an assistant research scientist and a postdoctoral research scholar.

Blog

Measuring Opportunities to Respond: A MOTR of Highly Interactive Literacy Instruction

Tuesday, April 15, 2025

Shawn Datchuk, MEd, PhD

Providing students with ample opportunities to respond throughout a lesson can improve their instructional performance.

Two students sit outside--one examines something with a magnifying glass, and the other takes notes in a journal

Literacy Is Every Subject

Thursday, March 27, 2025

Seth King

Literacy skills, such as reading comprehension, vocabulary knowledge, and knowledge of text structures, are critical for students’ success in academic subjects.

An instructor points to text in a book as she reads aloud to a group of young students seated in front of her.

A Necessary Balancing Act—Fidelity and Contextual Fit

Tuesday, March 11, 2025

Seth King

Fidelity and contextual fit are complementary considerations in evidence-based literacy instruction. This post introduces some strategies for improving intervention feasibility without sacrificing fidelity.