McGraw Hill has announced the integration of ROAR® (Rapid Online Assessment of Reading) into its K–12 literacy portfolio. Developed at the Stanford Graduate School of Education’s Reading and Dyslexia Research Program, ROAR is the only literacy screener designed to assess foundational reading skills across the full K–12 continuum.
The addition of ROAR is intended to strengthen connections between assessment, curriculum, and intervention, enabling educators to identify student needs earlier and provide targeted support. The tool, grounded in more than a decade of reading and neuroscience research, helps educators recognize diverse reading challenges, including dyslexia, and apply evidence‑based interventions more effectively.
ROAR has been validated for dyslexia screening and is already approved for use in several states, including California, Kentucky, Minnesota, and Ohio. More than 500,000 learners have used the assessment through research partnerships, providing a foundation for continued innovation in reading evaluation.
Dr. Jason Yeatman, Founder of ROAR and Director of the Brain Development and Education Lab at Stanford, explained that the assessment was designed to provide educators with scientifically validated tools to support classroom decision‑making. He noted that the collaboration with McGraw Hill would expand access to schools and districts while maintaining the research integrity of the model.
Jana Thompson, Interim President of McGraw Hill’s School group, stated that improving literacy outcomes remains one of the most pressing challenges in education. She emphasized that integrating ROAR into the company’s literacy portfolio represents a significant step toward helping schools identify reading difficulties earlier and connect students with the resources they need to succeed.
ROAR is available in English and Spanish and assesses skills such as phonological awareness, word recognition, and vocabulary. Unlike many literacy screeners that focus primarily on early grades, ROAR covers kindergarten through 12th grade, allowing schools to identify and support students at later stages of learning. The tool complements McGraw Hill’s existing literacy programs, including Emerge!, Summit!, Soar! and ¡Emerger juntos!, creating a more comprehensive pathway for personalized instruction.
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