Position Statements

As an advocate of excellence in teaching, IRA participates actively in shaping sound public policy in education. Find out where we stand on the most critical issues in literacy education today.

The links below (organized alphabetically by title) and at right (organized by topic) lead to summaries of each position statement; in most cases, the full text is available for downloading. Position statements can also be purchased, as single brochures or in bulk quantities, in the Marketplace.

Adolescent Literacy

Excellent Reading Teachers

Family-School Partnerships: Essential Elements of Literacy Instruction in the United States

Guidelines for the Evaluation of Commercial Reading Programs

High-Stakes Assessments in Reading

Integrating Literacy and Technology in the Curriculum

Investment in Teacher Preparation in the United States

Learning to Read and Write: Developmentally Appropriate Practices for Young Children

Literacy Development in the Preschool Years

Making a Difference Means Making It Different: Honoring Children’s Rights to Excellent Reading Instruction

On Reading First

Phonemic Awareness and the Teaching of Reading

Providing Books and Other Print Materials for Classroom and School Libraries

The Role and Qualifications of the Reading Coach in the United States

The Role of Phonics in Reading Instruction

The Role of Reading Instruction in Addressing the Overrepresentation of Minority Children in Special Education in the United States

Second-Language Literacy Instruction

Statement Calling for Civil Dialogue

Supporting Young Adolescents’ Literacy Learning

Teaching All Children to Read: The Roles of the Reading Specialist

Using Multiple Methods of Beginning Reading Instruction

What Is Evidence-Based Reading Instruction?

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