Literacy agency opens new headquarters

An educational technology agency spun off from the University of Iowa dedicated its new headquarters in Coralville this afternoon. The agency “Breakthrough to Literacy” helps children learn to use language and make the connection between language and print.Dr. Carolyn Brown is founder of the agency, which targets children in the range between pre-kindergarten and first grade. Brown was the first employee of Breakthrough to Literacy in 1988. It now has a staff of 30 and the program is being used in 600 schools and two-thousand classrooms.The literacy program combines quality print materials for students & teachers, interactive computer software, parental support and extensive professional development for teachers. The new facility includes a model classroom but Brown says no actual teaching will be done there.U-of-I education research has led to other spin-offs, like the testing agency A-C-T, which has its international headquarters in Iowa City.