Iowa Department of Education to Provide Personalized Reading Tutor Tool to All Iowa Elementary Schools -- THE Journal

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Iowa Department of Education to Provide Personalized Reading Tutor Tool to All Iowa Elementary Schools

By Rhea Kelly
09/06/24

The Iowa Department of Education has invested $3 million to make EPS Learning's AI-powered Reading Assistant tool available to public and nonpublic elementary schools across the state through summer 2025. The initiative grew out of the department's recent Summer Reading Grant program, which awarded funding to 41 schools in 29 districts to "address summer learning loss with the goal of advancing student achievement and narrowing and closing achievement gaps," according to a news announcement. Those schools committed to using the reading tutor technology as part of their evidence-based programming.

EPS Reading Assistant uses voice-recognition technology to provide one-on-one reading practice and build essential literacy skills such as phonemic awareness, phonics, decoding, vocabulary, and comprehension. Students read out loud while an interactive avatar offers real-time feedback and interventions while capturing data on skill progress and mastery.

"Reading unlocks a lifetime of potential, and the Department's new investment in statewide personalized reading tutoring further advances our shared commitment to strengthening early literacy instruction," said Iowa Department of Education Director McKenzie Snow, in a statement. "This work builds upon our comprehensive advancements in early literacy, spanning world-class state content standards, statewide educator professional learning, evidence-based summer reading programs, and Personalized Reading Plans for students in need of support."

For more information, visit the EPS Learning site.

About the Author

Rhea Kelly is editor in chief for Campus Technology, THE Journal, and Spaces4Learning. She can be reached at [email protected].

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