Motivating Readers

A Chore No More: Make Summer Reading Enjoyable With Family-Oriented Approaches

By:

Jennifer Knight, Ph.D.

Posted on: June 20, 2017

Make summer reading fun and fulfilling for the children in your family and help them maintain their reading skills with these seasonal approaches to reading.

Strong Girls Read Strong Books

By Renita Schmidt, Ph.D.,
Associate Professor, University of Iowa College of Education
Amanda Haertling Thein, Ph.D.,
Associate Professor, University of Iowa College of Education

The authors explain how they go about selecting texts for their afterschool reading club that helps girls grow into strong women through reading books featuring strong female protagonists. They also highlight key practices they have found useful in reading and responding to those texts.

Strong Girls Read Strong Books

The Journey Is the Treasure: Providing Just the Right Amount of Background Knowledge to Support Reading Comprehension

By:

Jennifer Knight, Ph.D.

Deborah K. Reed, Ph.D.

Posted on: February 14, 2017

Young readers can connect their background information to a new text for greater comprehension. Sample lesson plans show how to use this technique in the classroom.

Connecting Adolescents With Their Geographically Separated Parents: Videoconferencing for Reading Support

Deborah K. Reed, Ph.D.

Prolonged separation from a parent has been linked to emotional and academic consequences among children. Therefore, in this article, the authors used free videoconferencing to (a) deliver parental support for a student struggling with reading and (b) maintain a nurturing relationship between a geographically separated father and son.

What Reading Means to Me: One College Student's Perspective

By:

Bella Phillips

Posted on: December 13, 2016

Reading allows University of Iowa Sophomore Bella Phillips to cultivate a way of thinking using perspectives that can only be reached through reading.

Iowa Department of Education Director Ryan Wise Q&A

Director Wise on Supporting Improvement of All Students’ Literacy Skills Through Local Leaders, Ability to Adjust, Data and Assessments

Posted on: November 1, 2016

Iowa Department of Education Director Ryan Wise speaks about his commitment to ensuring all kids have strong literacy skills and more in this Q&A.

The Importance of Active Reading

By:

Deborah K. Reed, Ph.D.

Posted on: September 27, 2016

Active reading allows students to build reading skills. Learn steps teachers can take to help students experience success with independent active reading.