Center for Early Literacy and Responsible AI

About the Project
Website: https://earlyliteracyai.org/ (Coming soon…)
This IES-funded project aims to harness the transformative power of generative artificial intelligence (AI) to innovate K–2 beginning reading materials and support for independent reading. CELaRAI will focus on research and development of AI Reading Enhancer (AIRE), a student-facing tool to generate personalized text (AIRE Text Generator), conduct real-time reading analysis (AIRE Reading Analysis), and provide just-in-time literacy support (AIRE Text Enhancer). Through AIRE, the research team aims to significantly improve students’ literacy skills, including phonics, word recognition, fluency, and comprehension, particularly by providing support for children from culturally and linguistically diverse backgrounds. Additionally, the team will provide national leadership on responsible AI use in early literacy research and practices through expansive dissemination, outreach, and capacity building activities.
CELaRAI will carry out three core project activities over five years: (1) researching and developing the AIRE tool through an exploratory study, user-centered formative studies, and a pilot study; (2) addressing challenges related to responsible AI in schools and creating ethical guidelines for AI development and deployment; and (3) providing national leadership in the field of responsible AI for early literacy through research dissemination and capacity-building initiatives. To achieve CELaRAI’s goals, an interdisciplinary team of researchers and expert advisors will collaborate across four thrusts: AI, Early Literacy, AI Ethics, and Learning Sciences and Methodology.
Research and Development
The program of research focuses on developing and refining the AIRE tool for improving early literacy outcomes. First, the research team will develop a more fine-grained understanding about independent reading practices and materials in K–2 classrooms and conduct user-centered studies to understand teachers’ AI use and perspectives to inform AIRE tool development. During the subsequent tool design phase, the research team will develop a prototype of AIRE by leveraging the best AI technologies identified, including large-language model based generative AI, conversational agents, and children’s spoken language understanding. In addition, the research team will conduct formative user studies that will continue through the succeeding project years. When AIRE is fully developed, the research team will engage in a pilot study to test the effectiveness of AIRE for improving K–2 students’ literacy outcomes, as well as AIRE’s usability, feasibility, and fidelity to drive the iterative improvement of AIRE.
Responsible AI
Across all years of the project, the research team will examine challenges in responsible AI in schools and develop ethical guidelines for AI development and deployment.
National Leadership
National leadership and capacity building activities will include creating several event series (such as annual conferences, online talk series, and practitioner forums), faculty and student training workshops, and activation of professional networks in both AI and literacy research. Additionally, the team will provide national leadership for responsible AI for early literacy research and practices through academic and public-facing dissemination.
