UIC researchers awarded $10M grant to boost young learners’ reading skills

When Illinois issued its statewide literacy plan in 2024, it marked a renewed effort to increase reading proficiency among early learners. At the time, the statistics were stark: Only 41% of Illinois students in grades three through eight met proficiency benchmarks in English language, and only 30% reached proficiency on the National Assessment of Educational Progress.

To help improve those numbers, the University of Illinois Chicago College of Education will launch WORDS Illinois, a large-scale effort to strengthen early literacy instruction in schools across the state. The program is supported by a $10 million Education Innovation and Research grant from the U.S. Department of Education.

Building on a model that originated and was tested in Nebraska, the Workshops on Reading Development Strategies (WORDS) program is a multiyear professional learning program for teachers. Through it, teachers learn how to apply evidence-based reading practices in their classrooms, make data-driven decisions about instruction and give better support to students from pre-kindergarten through third grade.

WORDS Illinois will be implemented in 80 schools over the next five years; another 80 schools won't have the program but will be included for comparison in a controlled trial led by an external evaluator.

"This funding allows us to bring a proven professional-development model to scale in Illinois," said Rachel Schachter, associate professor of educational psychology at UIC and principal investigator on the grant. "We'll be able to partner closely with schools, work within the curriculum and systems they already use and support teachers in strengthening reading instruction for young learners."

Comprehensive literacy support

The WORDS program takes a comprehensive approach to literacy, yet aims to mesh with existing practices at a school. It provides funding for after-school tutoring for students who are below literacy proficiency benchmarks or at risk of falling behind. Teachers learn about the science of reading and early literacy in workshops, and they each get four individualized coaching visits per year. There is leadership development at the district level as well as within schools, and teachers get support in using existing curricula and assessments, including state-mandated reading benchmarks . The model is designed to integrate seamlessly into a school's existing structures. That's what sets WORDS apart, Schachter said.

"We're not bringing in a brand-new curriculum or asking teachers to start from scratch," said Esther Lindström, associate professor of special education at UIC and co-principal investigator on the program. "We're partnering with schools to build on what they're already doing and make it stronger, more cohesive and more sustainable."

"Reading is foundational to every part of a child's academic journey," Lindström said. "When we support early literacy, we're setting students up for long-term success not just in reading, but in science, math and across the curriculum."

Schachter noted that research on reading instruction has evolved significantly in recent decades.

"Teaching reading is complex," she said. "Even experienced teachers benefit from additional support, especially as the research base grows. WORDS offers a way to meet teachers where they are and help them build skills that directly impact classroom practice."

Exceptional results

In Nebraska, WORDS has shown promising results: 91% of participating teachers said the program improved their reading instruction, and 94% said it improved reading outcomes for their students. Students in the program demonstrated accelerated growth in their proficiency, and many of them moved from below benchmark to meeting or exceeding grade-level expectations. Teachers overwhelmingly valued the structured tutoring component - a full 100% said it was beneficial.

The Illinois project will build on this foundation, extending the model to more diverse student populations and adding two key enhancements. One, the Illinois program will be implemented in pre-K classrooms, allowing schools to approach early literacy cohesively across grade levels. And two, in partnership with the South Cook Intermediate Service Center, project leaders will also integrate a stronger literacy leadership infrastructure by creating professional learning communities across the state.

UIC's role

In Illinois, UIC is partnering initially with South Cook Intermediate Service Center, to recruit schools to participate in WORDS starting this fall. The south Cook County area has multiple school districts with wide-ranging demographics and needs.WORDS Illinois will roll out in three cohorts over five years, culminating with a statewide conference at the end of the grant cycle.

"We want to build systems that last beyond the life of the grant," Schachter said. "Teachers will keep learning, new teachers will join these schools, and the science of reading will continue to evolve. Our goal is to help districts create lasting structures that support literacy instruction for years to come."