Iowa Department of Education introduces Amira’s AI-powered reading tutor to boost Literacy in schools
The Iowa Department of Education has announced $3 million in funding to enhance early literacy for elementary school students across the state.
With the investment, the Department is introducing a personalised reading tutor designed to accelerate student achievement in critical areas such as phonemic awareness, phonics, decoding, vocabulary, and comprehension.
This initiative builds on previous efforts by the Department to strengthen early literacy through comprehensive state content standards, professional development for educators, evidence-based summer reading programmes, and Personalised Reading Plans tailored for students requiring additional support.
The new tool, EPS Reading Assistant, was developed by Amira (EPS Learning) and uses advanced voice-recognition technology. The online literacy tutor offers real-time tutoring by providing corrective feedback and support as students read aloud.
A digital avatar named Amira listens to students, assesses their progress, and intervenes when encountering difficulties, ensuring that each student's learning experience is personalised and effective.
Iowa Department of Education Director McKenzie Snow highlighted the importance of this new initiative, stating, "Reading unlocks a lifetime of potential, and the Department’s new investment in statewide personalised reading tutoring further advances our shared commitment to strengthening early literacy instruction.”
“This work builds upon our comprehensive advancements in early literacy, spanning world-class state content standards, statewide educator professional learning, evidence-based summer reading programs, and Personalized Reading Plans for students in need of support.”
The EPS Reading Assistant will be available at no cost to both public and non-public primary schools in Iowa, with the programme running through the summer of 2025. Among the first to implement this tool are the 41 primary schools that received Summer Reading Grants earlier this year.
These grants were awarded to help mitigate summer learning loss and to support student achievement, particularly in schools with large achievement gaps.
This initiative is funded through the American Rescue Plan Elementary and Secondary School Emergency Relief (APR ESSER) Fund, which is dedicated to supporting state-level educational efforts.
“This work builds upon our comprehensive advancements in early literacy, spanning world-class state content standards, statewide educator professional learning, evidence-based summer reading programs, and Personalized Reading Plans for students in need of support. Snow added.
