Dr. Rebecca McGill-Wilkinson
(202) 245-7613
Rebecca.Mcgill@ed.gov

REQUEST FOR APPLICATIONS: FY 2019 84.305A (PDF: 1.6 MB) CLOSED

The Reading and Writing (Read/Write) topic supports research on the improvement of reading and writing skills of students from kindergarten through high school. The long-term outcome of this research includes an array of tools and strategies (e.g., curricula, assessments, instructional approaches) that are documented as effective for improving or assessing reading and writing.

PORTFOLIO SUMMARY
Between 2002–2017, NCER has invested more than $205 million in the Read/Write program to support 112 research projects.

18 Exploration Projects
45 Development and Innovation Projects
23 Efficacy and Replication Projects
6 Scale-Up Evaluation Projects
1 Effectiveness Project
19 Measurement Projects

HISTORY/BACKGROUND
Read/Write began as a topic area in fiscal year (FY) 2002 and was one of the first programs competed through the National Center for Education Research’s (NCER) grants competitions. This program was developed to support innovative research on improving students’ reading and writing skills and achievement.

Read/Write researchers have explored, developed, and tested a number of new approaches to teaching, learning, and assessing reading and writing for students in grades K through 12. Specifically, interventions and assessments have targeted a number of reading and writing skills, including, but not limited to: syntax, morphology, vocabulary, handwriting, fluency, grammar, prosody, comprehension, and composition. Additionally, Read/Write projects often incorporate innovative uses of technology, features to increase motivation and engagement, and considerations for English Learners and students with or at-risk for disabilities.

Why study Reading and Writing?

Reading and writing are crucial to success in school and beyond; both skills are necessary for college and career. Recognition of the importance of reading has led to extensive theory and research on this topic for fifty years. While researchers have identified effective strategies to help children learn to read, many students in the United States are not proficient readers, suggesting there is more research needed. Writing, on the other hand, is vastly understudied in comparison to reading, and despite this important skill for both communication and learning, little is known about how writing develops across K-12 and how to improve writing achievement for students.

RELATED PROJECTS and PROGRAMS

• Reading, Writing, and Language Development
• Reading for Understanding Research Initiative
• Center for the Study of Adult Literacy (CSAL): Developing Instructional Approaches Suited to the Cognitive and Motivational Needs for Struggling Adults
• National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP) Reading
• National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP) Writing
• Regional Educational Laboratories (RELs): Literacy

RELATED PUBLICATIONS

• Improving Reading Outcomes for Students with or at Risk for Reading Disabilities: A Synthesis of the Contributions from the Institute of Education Sciences Research Centers
• Foundational Skills to Support Reading for Understanding in Kindergarten Through 3rd Grade
• Teaching Elementary School Students to Be Effective Writers
• Improving Reading Comprehension in Kindergarten Through 3rd Grade
• Assisting Students Struggling with Reading: Response to Intervention (RtI) and Multi-Tier Intervention in the Primary Grades
• Improving Adolescent Literacy: Effective Classroom and Intervention Practices
• Teaching Academic Content and Literacy to English Learners in Elementary and Middle School
• Related content from Inside IES Research