The Dr. Martha Robinson Institute
for Literacy and Education
The Dr. Martha Robinson Institute
for Literacy and Education
Advancing the Science and Practice of Reading Instruction
The Dr. Martha Robinson Institute for Literacy and Education was established to honor the life, work, and enduring legacy of Dr. Martha Robinson, whose dedication to improving reading instruction continues to positively impact the lives of learners, educators, and families. The Institute carries forward her commitment to ensuring that effective reading instruction continues to be studied, refined, shared, and made accessible to educators, families, and learners through research, professional learning, and collaboration.
The Institute was founded on the belief that every learner deserves access to effective reading instruction and that meaningful educational research should lead to better teaching, stronger programs, and improved literacy outcomes. The Institute exists to improve reading instruction by connecting research, professional learning, and real-world implementation so that effective literacy practices become more accessible to educators and learners everywhere.
Through collaboration with educators, schools, universities, community organizations, and researchers, the Institute studies, refines, and shares effective instructional practices to improve literacy outcomes for learners of all ages.
Our Mission
The Dr. Martha Robinson Institute for Literacy and Education advances the science and practice of reading instruction by conducting research, providing professional learning, and supporting the implementation of effective literacy programs. In honoring the legacy of Dr. Martha Robinson, the Institute is committed to expanding access to effective reading instruction and advancing knowledge that improves literacy outcomes for future generations.
Our Guiding Question
How can effective reading instruction reach more learners and become even more effective?
Every research project, partnership, and professional learning opportunity undertaken by the Institute is designed to help answer this question.
Our Approach
The Martha Robinson Institute believes that educational research should improve instruction, not simply describe it. The Martha Robinson Institute believes that educational research should improve instruction, not simply describe it. The Institute values collaborative research conducted in authentic educational settings and is committed to producing findings that are rigorous, practical, meaningful, measurable, and immediately useful to educators, tutors, schools, families, and researchers.
By connecting research with classroom practice, the Institute strives to ensure that new knowledge leads to meaningful improvements in literacy instruction.
What We Do
The Martha Robinson Institute brings together research and practice to improve literacy instruction.
Research
The Institute conducts and supports research that advances understanding of effective reading instruction, informs educational practice, and contributes to the broader field of literacy education.
Training
The Institute provides professional learning opportunities that help educators, tutors, schools, and community organizations strengthen their knowledge and implementation of effective literacy instruction.
Implementation
The Institute partners with educational organizations to pilot innovative programs, evaluate instructional practices, support implementation, and identify practical solutions that improve literacy outcomes.
Together, these efforts bridge the gap between research and practice while supporting continuous improvement in reading instruction.
Research Priorities
The Martha Robinson Institute supports research that strengthens the science and practice of reading instruction. Current areas of focus include:
-
Decoding development
-
Tutor preparation and professional learning
-
Implementation fidelity
-
Multilingual learners
-
Dyslexia
-
Eye tracking and reading processes
-
Reading intervention
-
Teacher preparation
-
Instructional technology
-
Community literacy partnerships
Research priorities evolve as new questions emerge through collaboration with educators, learners, and research partners. These priorities reflect the Institute's commitment to conducting research that is practical, collaborative, and capable of improving reading instruction in authentic educational settings.
Registered Research Sites
Registered Research Sites are schools, tutoring programs, after-school organizations, community agencies, and other educational settings that partner with the Martha Robinson Institute to implement, study, and improve effective reading instruction in authentic educational environments.
These partnerships provide opportunities to evaluate instructional practices, pilot new programs, conduct collaborative research, and develop practical solutions that improve literacy outcomes.
Participating organizations may engage in:
-
Instructor certification and professional learning
-
Literacy intervention projects
-
Pilot studies and program evaluation
-
Data collection and progress monitoring
-
Development and refinement of instructional materials
-
Collaborative research, conference presentations, and publications
Together, the Institute and its Registered Research Sites contribute to a growing body of knowledge that helps improve reading instruction and expand access to effective literacy education.
Relationship with Robinson Reading Company
The Martha Robinson Institute works closely with Robinson Reading Company to support the continued study, implementation, and refinement of the Robinson Reading System®.
Robinson Reading Company develops, publishes, licenses, and owns the Robinson Reading System® and its associated intellectual property. The Institute strengthens this work by advancing research, professional learning, implementation, and continuous improvement that strengthen reading instruction and inform the ongoing development of the Robinson Reading System®.
Together, Robinson Reading Company and the Martha Robinson Institute share a commitment to making effective reading instruction simple to teach and simple to learn.
Join Us
The Martha Robinson Institute welcomes collaboration with educators, schools, universities, researchers, community organizations, and literacy leaders who share our commitment to improving reading instruction. Whether you are interested in research, professional learning, Registered Research Sites, or collaborative projects, we invite you to join us in advancing the science and practice of reading instruction.