About

Emily Solari is a faculty member associated with the Reading and Academic Development Research Group at the University of Virginia School of Education and Human Development. Her research focuses on literacy, particularly in the context of teaching and learning. She has contributed to studies that develop and validate instruments to assess educators' knowledge in teaching reading, covering areas such as phonological awareness, phonics, decoding, encoding, reading fluency, oral language, and reading comprehension. Additionally, her work includes meta-analyses of reading intervention research aimed at improving reading outcomes for elementary students with or at risk for dyslexia, as well as research synthesizing interventions for English learners with word reading difficulties. Through these contributions, Solari's scholarship advances understanding of effective literacy instruction and intervention strategies for diverse student populations.

Research topics

• Psychology
• Developmental psychology
• Pedagogy
• Political Science
• Sociology
• Social Science
• Medicine
• Linguistics
• Computer Science
• Mathematics education
• Mathematics
• Statistics
• Engineering
• Engineering ethics

Selected publications

• Content analysis of state-level review materials for K-2 core literacy curricula

  Annals of Dyslexia · 2025-06-05 · 2 citations

  articleOpen access

  Within the last two decades, several states have enacted literacy-related legislation with the goal of improving national literacy outcomes for students. In alignment with this legislation, some states have undertaken a core literacy curriculum review process. These processes often involve the development and implementation of an evaluation system (e.g., rubric, checklist), resulting in a list of approved, high-quality, core literacy curricula that school systems are either required or recommended to adopt. However, little is known about the materials states use to review core literacy curricula. This study sought to identify which states engage in the review of K-2 core literacy curricula and to examine the materials they use to identify high-quality curricula. A content analysis of K-2 core literacy curriculum review materials from 24 states revealed large variability across materials. Overall, there was preliminary support of evidence-based content and pedagogy reflected in the materials. At the same time, there was potential for better alignment with some evidence-based practices. Further examination of K-2 core literacy curriculum review materials and the processes in which they are used is crucial to ensure clarity and consistency for educators, policymakers, and publishers. With sustained focus on evidence-based approaches and cross-state collaboration and alignment, there exists the potential to create meaningful and lasting improvements in literacy instruction and outcomes for all students.

  PublisherOA PDFDOI

• Analyzing Alphabet Knowledge Acquisition in Young Children

  Reading & Writing Quarterly · 2025-01-09

  articleSenior author
  PublisherDOI

• Leveraging longitudinal in-school assessments to understand reading risk in SeLECTs: a proof-of-concept cohort

  Epilepsy & Behavior · 2025-07-08

  article
  PublisherDOI

• Determinants to implementing a new early literacy screener: Barriers and facilitators

  Annals of Dyslexia · 2025-07-16 · 1 citations

  articleOpen access

  Early literacy screening is critical for identifying students at risk for reading difficulties and enabling timely intervention. However, the implementation of new screening tools often encounters significant barriers that hinder effective adoption. This mixed-methods study investigates the barriers and facilitators reported by educators during the early implementation of a new early literacy and language screener. Data from survey (n=694) and focus groups (n=39) were thematically coded using the Consolidated Framework for Implementation Research (CFIR) to identify determinants of successful adoption. Findings revealed four key themes influencing implementation: ease of administration, understanding of the screener, trust in the data, and use of data for instructional decisions. Crosscutting themes included the critical role of reading specialists and the challenges posed by simultaneous curriculum and assessment initiatives. Barriers such as time constraints, technological challenges, and insufficient understanding of language-based subtests were identified, while robust inner-setting supports and effective communication emerged as facilitators. These results underscore the importance of accessible and timely professional development, iterative tool refinement, and strategic leadership in scaling evidence-based practices. Future research should explore longitudinal impacts and strategies to integrate such innovations seamlessly into schools' instructional ecosystems.

  PublisherOA PDFDOI

• Elementary educator self-efficacy and knowledge to teach reading

  Teachers and Teaching · 2025-06-27 · 1 citations

  articleSenior author
  PublisherDOI

• Using Screener Data and Individualized Reading Plans to Promote Literacy Growth for Students With and at Risk for Reading Difficulty

  2025-10-28

  book-chapterSenior author

  Abstract This chapter focuses on the implementation of a statewide early literacy screening system designed to identify students with and at risk for reading difficulties and plan literacy interventions. The screening system provides educators with levels of risk and instructionally relevant information for participants, including students with Individualized Education Plans, to guide early literacy intervention. Barriers and facilitators to statewide implementation of new literacy legislation as well as recommendations for (a) supporting teacher understanding and use of the screener data for instruction and outreach and (b) professional development to support knowledge of evidence-based literacy instruction to support all learners are discussed. Finally, a case study is presented to demonstrate how educators can effectively use screening data to create specific intervention plans for students who are identified as at risk for developing reading difficulties.

  PublisherDOI

• Literacy Profiles of Kindergarten Students With Emotional and Behavioral Disorders

  Remedial and Special Education · 2025-08-16

  articleSenior author

  Difficulties with reading development have been well documented in samples of individuals with emotional and behavioral disorders (EBD). This study utilized a state-level dataset of early literacy skills in kindergarten students with EBD ( N = 522) to investigate the development of foundational reading skills across the kindergarten year. The study employed latent profile analysis and latent transition analysis (LTA) to empirically derive profiles of readers at kindergarten entry and kindergarten exit. Results demonstrate the heterogenous nature of early reading skills in young students with EBD. Socioeconomic status significantly moderated students’ transitions from fall to spring, whereas gender did not. These findings have important implications for the early reading instruction and intervention of young students with EBD.

  PublisherDOI

• Evaluating the Reliability of Name Writing Rubric Scoring

  Assessment for Effective Intervention · 2024-10-23

  articleSenior author

  Early literacy screening tools are often a critical component of schools’ intervention frameworks. As the use of screening tools becomes more prevalent for identifying students who may be at risk for learning difficulties and in need of additional instruction, it is important to continuously evaluate teachers’ implementation of these screening tools and to improve efforts to support their implementation. Measures of name writing as a part of a screening tool can pose specific implementation challenges due to the subjectivity that rubric scoring allows. As such, this study aimed to evaluate the reliability of a rubric used by pre-kindergarten teachers to score a name writing task, as part of a larger screening tool, in the context of their own classrooms, and to examine scoring patterns between researchers and teachers on the name writing rubric. Results revealed that researchers had higher interrater reliability among themselves than the reliability between researchers and teachers. Although there was not a substantial difference between the two groups, it is worthwhile to examine the implementation of screening tool scoring systems in the field to ensure proper identification of and intervention for students who may be at risk for learning difficulties. Implications for researchers and teachers are discussed.

  PublisherDOI

• Teacher Understanding of Literacy Constructs and Evidence-Based Instructional Practices Survey

  PsycTESTS Dataset · 2024-01-01

  dataset
  PublisherDOI

• Early Literacy, Equity, and Test Score Comparability during the Pandemic

  2023-08-02

  book-chapter
  PublisherDOI

Recent grants

• Engagement Core

  NIH · $56.4M · 2006–2028

Frequent coauthors

• Nancy S. McIntyre

  33 shared

• Matthew C. Zajic

  Columbia University

  27 shared

• Ryan P. Grimm

  25 shared

• Colby Hall

  University of Virginia

  22 shared

• Peter Mundy

  Corteva (United States)

  21 shared

• Katlynn Dahl‐Leonard

  The University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston

  21 shared

• Karen F. Kehoe

  Middle Tennessee State University

  19 shared

• Eunsoo Cho

  Vanderbilt University

  18 shared

Labs

• Reading and Academic Development Research GroupPI

Education

• Ph.D., Special Education, Disabilities, and Risk Studies with an emphasis in Human Development

  University of California, Santa Barbara