The Florida Center for Reading Research

Research sparks curiosity, inspires action and helps us make informed decisions and better understand the world around us. 📚✨

But before any of that can happen, research has to connect with people.

Effective science communication isn’t easy. It takes practice, creativity, and genuine connection. That’s why FCRR faculty, staff, and students participated in a two-day interactive training with the Alan Alda Center for Communicating Science, a national leader in science communication training and research.

Participants strengthened their ability to listen, connect with audiences, share research in engaging and dynamic ways, and build meaningful connections through communication!

Big congrats to Dr. Wagner! We're so lucky to work alongside him!! 🎉

Congratulations to Rick Wagner, who is one of seven Florida State University faculty members elected to the Academy of Science, Engineering and Medicine of Florida this year!

Wagner is a Robert O. Lawton Distinguished Professor in the FSU Department of Psychology and holds the W. Russell and Eugenia Morcom Chair. He also serves as an associate director of The Florida Center for Reading Research. His research focuses reading acquisition and dyslexia, advancing the scientific understanding of phonological processing and reading disabilities.

To check out the full story, visit: fla.st/XQQXQ10X.

Florida State University Division of Research, FSU Faculty Development

🎆 5th grade ELA & Social Studies teachers, applications are open for Cohort 2 of FIREWORKS250!

FIREWORKS250 is a professional learning experience connecting civics content with evidence-based literacy instruction, designed specifically for Florida's grade 5 classrooms.

Participants receive a $1,000 stipend, free instructional resources, and expert support from FCRR and FSU — all while bringing engaging, meaningful lessons to their students.

Apply today for the 2026/27 school year 👉 https://tinyurl.com/FIREWORKS250Fall26

Looking for ways to support early literacy at home this summer? Check out this Institute of Education Sciences resource developed by our colleagues here at FCRR!

📚 A Resource for Parents and Caring Adults of Children in Grades K–3: Supporting Your Child's Reading at Home

Parents and caregivers play a powerful role in helping children become confident readers. This REL Southeast infographic, based on the What Works Clearinghouse Practice Guide Foundational Skills to Support Reading for Understanding in Kindergarten Through 3rd Grade, gives families simple, practical ways to support their child's reading development at home.

It breaks down the four foundational reading skills children develop in grades K–3 and offers easy activities, examples, and tips to use during everyday interactions.

Learn more here: https://tinyurl.com/HomeReadingTips

📚 Exciting things are happening for literacy in Florida!

FCRR is proud to support Rural Connect Florida, a $9.9 million, five-year initiative led by North East Florida Educational Consortium (NEFEC) in partnership with Panhandle Area Educational Consortium (PAEC) and Heartland Educational Consortium (HEC) to bring evidence-based, Science of Reading professional learning to rural and high-need schools across the state.

Recently, NEFEC kicked things off by bringing together the Tri-Consortia, FCRR, and Just Read, Florida! to train literacy leaders for the Rural Connect Florida Summer Academy, a 4-day professional learning experience for teachers from small and rural schools, made possible through an EIR grant.

Over five years, this initiative will reach more than 1,500 teachers and 31,000 students across 36 local education agencies.

As FCRR's Sarah Herrera put it: "Teachers don't operate in silos, they operate within a system. The goal is to build a system in which everyone feels supported and can then work together to improve outcomes for students."

We're proud to be part of this important work. 💙

🔗 Learn more: https://news.fsu.edu/news/university-news/2026/03/30/florida-center-for-reading-research-to-expand-evidence-based-literacy-instruction-through-9-9m-partnership/

🎉 The H2E Tutoring pilot has wrapped!

This semester, FCRR partnered with Leon High School and Kate Sullivan Elementary through our High School to Elementary (H2E) Tutoring initiative and we are beyond proud of what this group of high school students accomplished.

Over 12 weeks, 26 young volunteers gave up time after their own school day to attend training and provide daily, one-on-one reading support to kindergarten students using UFLI Foundations and Beyond the Book guides from Maya's Book Nook. Together, they showed up for a combined 599 days of tutoring — 599 days of patience, dedication, and heart. 💙

And the impact went both ways:
✅ Every single tutor said they would recommend this program to a friend.
✅ Almost all want to come back and do it again next year.

These students proved that real change happens when a community comes together, and the impact they made on early readers at Kate Sullivan will last far beyond this semester.

Thank you to Leon High School, Kate Sullivan Elementary, and every student tutor who gave their time to make this a success.

Questions? Contact us at [email protected]

FIREWORKS250 Chat 7 is Live! 🎉

Teachers, dive into the debate that shaped the Constitution. In Chat 7, you’ll explore how the Federalists and Anti-Federalists influenced the final structure of the U.S. government and how to bring that thinking into your classroom.

What’s included:
📌 Curated readings and videos from the National Constitution Center
📌 A ready-to-use, research-aligned lesson plan
📌 A classroom strategies video with Dr. Laurie Lee and Dr. Kevin Smith
📌 Companion slides to support implementation

Chat 7 focuses on building students’ understanding through evidence, discussion, and intentional support for reading and writing skills, including analyzing complex texts and constructing written arguments.

👉 Access Chat 7 materials and start planning your next lesson today: https://fcrr.org/projects/fireworks250/chats

NEW: FIREWORKS250 Chat 6 is here! 🎆

Help your 5th grade students dive into how compromise shaped the U.S. Constitution, while building literacy skills at the same time. This lesson is designed so you can teach rich social studies content without sacrificing critical time needed for focusing on developing reading and writing skills.

Students will:
📖 Read and analyze a complex historical text
✏️ Use text coding and note-taking to track ideas
💬 Engage in discussion and evidence-based debate
📝 Write a supported response using textual evidence

Focus on deep content learning and strong literacy skills, together!

Explore Chat 6 here: https://fcrr.org/projects/fireworks250/chats

ICYMI: Join our colleagues Drs. Marcia Kosanovich, Kevin Smith, and Laurie Lee for an upcoming Institute of Education Sciences webinar!

Webinar: Overview of the Toolkit for Differentiating Reading Instruction for Grades K–3
May 5, 2026, 3:00–4:00 PM ET

Literacy experts Drs. Marcia Kosanovich, Kevin Smith, and Laurie Lee will introduce the Toolkit for Differentiating Reading Instruction for Grades K–3, a free resource designed to help educators use student reading data to deliver targeted, evidence-based Tier 1 instruction.

This webinar is designed for literacy leaders, coaches, and K–3 teachers. Participants will explore key features of the Toolkit and gain practical strategies for implementation to support data-informed, differentiated literacy instruction.

Register here: https://bit.ly/4szGTNK

FCRR’s Innovation Committee welcomed 45 FSU students and faculty to our Innovative Methods Conference 📚✨

Designed to highlight cutting-edge approaches that support reading research, from recruitment to dissemination, the day was filled with collaboration, learning, and fresh ideas. Attendees participated in two hands-on workshops and had the opportunity to share their own methods and best practices with fellow researchers!