A student’s ability to read is a key predictor of academic and lifelong success. In Nebraska, the COVID-19 pandemic hit students with reading difficulties especially hard, particularly students attending rural schools.
Since then, Nebraska WORDS project—Workshops on Reading Development Strategies—has been a valuable resource for teachers by promoting effective strategies to deliver high-quality reading instruction and assessment. The research- based professional development program supports Nebraska’s targeted efforts to boost early literacy among K-3 students across the state.
Led by WORDS principal investigator Michael Hebert, associate professor in the School of Education at the University of California Irvine, and University of Nebraska– Lincoln researchers in partnership with the Nebraska Department of Education, WORDS launched just before the 2020 pandemic to help schools meet the 2018 Nebraska Reading Improvement Act requirements.
