News & Updates

 October 1, 2024 

2024 Fall Newsletter

About Us

The mission of the Iowa Reading Association, an interactive group of individuals interested in reading, is to promote literacy through leadership and educational programming.

We are a group of volunteer literacy educators from across the state of Iowa. We sponsor an annual conference that usually takes place last week in June.

The organization honors educators through the following annual awards: Merit Council, Reading Teacher of the Year, Reading Administrator of the Year, Celebrate Literacy Award, Iowa Service Award, and Technology & Literacy Grant. In addition, students can participate in creative writing contests for short stories & poetry.

Iowa Reading Association has been the recipient of the International Literacy Association Award of Excellence for over 25 years.

Purpose

Serve as a professional organization concerned about reading; Stimulated and promote the study of reading at all educational levels; Disseminate information of investigations and practices; Maintain an awareness of the impact of reading; Advise and monitor teacher-training programs; Promote mutual understanding and cooperation among educators; and Promote a level of reading proficiency among all people that is commensurate with each individual’s unique capacity.

Leadership

Sponsor an annual leadership workshop for local council leaders to encourage active local participation; Provide professional development opportunities for state leaders; Help local councils develop alternative models for programming; Foster communication and the dissemination of information through emerging technologies; and Continue to network with other professional entities

Education

Disseminate information concerning legislative issues and reading research, theory, and practice through association publications and communications; Continue International Reading Association affiliation; and Plan and implement a state conference