
Timothy Shanahan is Distinguished Professor Emeritus at the University of Illinois at Chicago where he was Founding Director of the UIC Center for Literacy. Previously, he was director of reading for the Chicago Public Schools. He is author/editor of more than 200 publications on literacy education. His research emphasizes the connections between reading and writing, literacy in the disciplines, and improvement of reading achievement.
Tim is past president of the International Literacy Association. He served as a member of the Advisory Board of the National Institute for Literacy under Presidents George W. Bush and Barack Obama, and he helped lead the National Reading Panel, convened at the request of Congress to evaluate research on helped lead the National Reading Panel, convened at the request of Congress to evaluate research on the teaching reading, a major influence on reading education. The resulting NRP Report (2000) has had a significant, lasting influence on reading education.He chaired two other federal research review panels: the National Literacy Panel for Language Minority Children and Youth, and the National Early Literacy Panel, and helped write the Common Core State Standards.
He was inducted to the Reading Hall of Fame in 2007, and is a former first-grade teacher.
Recent articles
Afterschool and Community Programs
Creating Programs for Language Minority Families
Common Core Standards
Does Disciplinary Literacy Have a Place in Elementary School?
Recent blog posts
Shanahan on Literacy
Is Print Awareness Part of the Science of Reading?
Shanahan on Literacy
My Problem with Teaching Text Organization
Shanahan on Literacy
Eight Ways to Help Kids Read Complex Text
Shanahan on Literacy
Is Comprehension Better with Digital Text? An Updated Post with New Research
Shanahan on Literacy
The Role of Letter Names in Learning to Read Is Still Curious
Shanahan on Literacy
When Sisyphus Was in First Grade or One-Minute Reading Homework
Shanahan on Literacy
The Science of Reading Versus the Art of Teaching Reading
Shanahan on Literacy
Teaching Fluency FAQs
Shanahan on Literacy
What Do We Do with Above Grade Readers?
Shanahan on Literacy
Does a 4-Day Week Mean Lower Reading Scores?
Shanahan on Literacy
Choral Reading: Good Idea or Not?
Shanahan on Literacy