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 the teaching reading, a major 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
Are read-alongs (round robin, popcorn) a good idea?
Shanahan on Literacy
Does Oral Language Instruction Improve Literacy?
Shanahan on Literacy
If You Really Want Higher Test Scores: Rethink Reading Comprehension Instruction
Shanahan on Literacy
Are E-Books a Good Idea for the Science Class?
Shanahan on Literacy
Does Reader’s Workshop Promote Close Reading Adequately?
Shanahan on Literacy
How Do You Make Kids Love Reading?
Shanahan on Literacy
Creating an Effective Book Buddies Program: No More Magical Thinking
Shanahan on Literacy
How to Teach Fluency So That It Takes
Shanahan on Literacy
Is Morphology Training Better Than Phonics Instruction?
Shanahan on Literacy
The Learner Characteristic that Leads to Different Learning
Shanahan on Literacy