Building Strong Foundations for Every Learner
Literacy is the cornerstone of learning – opening doors to success in every subject and at every stage. Iowa’s Area Education Agencies (AEAs) provide targeted literacy support to help schools and districts ensure every student develops strong reading, writing, speaking, and listening skills. Our literacy consultants partner with schools to:
- Deliver professional learning for educators in grades PK–12.
- Support curriculum design and alignment with the Iowa Academic Standards for English/Language Arts and Literacy.
- Guide the review, selection, and implementation of High-Quality Instructional Materials (HQIM) across universal (Tier 1), supplemental (Tier 2), and intensive (Tier 3) instruction.
- Provide coaching and consultation grounded in the Science of Reading, focusing on phonemic awareness, phonics, fluency, vocabulary, comprehension, writing, and disciplinary literacy.
- Help educators use data from screening, progress monitoring, and summative assessments to inform instruction and intervention.
- Share current research, tools, and strategies to support diverse learners, including students who are at risk, English learners, Gifted and Talented students, and those with IEPs or characteristics of dyslexia.
Strengthening Early Literacy
The Iowa Early Literacy Implementation (ELI) reinforces this work by requiring evidence-based instruction, assessment, and intervention – ensuring every student becomes a proficient reader by the end of third grade.
Panorama Student Success supports educators by housing universal screening, intervention, and progress-monitoring data in one place, helping teams make clear, data-driven decisions.
Together, AEA literacy consultants and Iowa’s statewide early literacy framework give schools the knowledge, tools, and systems needed to deliver structured, equitable, and high-quality literacy instruction – from early childhood through graduation.
How We Support
- Coaching and consultation
- Classroom modeling and debriefing
- Observations and walkthroughs
- Leadership or staff implementation coaching
- Ongoing professional learning with embedded coaching
- Resource alignment and integration
- Facilitated time for planning, reflection, and collaboration with:
- Leadership teams (district and/or building)
- Teacher teams (PLCs, CLCs, etc.)