Steven Amendum

Associate Professor

Dr. Steve Amendum is an associate professor specializing in literacy education in the School of Education at the University of Delaware. He teaches courses related to literacy research, assessment, and instruction at both the undergraduate and graduate levels. His research areas include early reading intervention, literacy development and instruction for emerging bilingual students, and evidence-based classroom instruction.  His research areas also include professional development for teachers in each of these areas.

Currently, Dr. Amendum is the principal investigator for an Institute of Education Sciences (IES)-funded grant to test an early reading and professional development intervention to improve early reading outcomes for emergent bilingual learners in kindergarten and first grade. He also serves as a co-PI of a an IES-funded efficacy grant to test the efficacy of a professional development program (developed in a previous grant) to improve collaboration among classroom and ESL teachers, incorporate students’ cultural wealth, and improve language and literacy outcomes for K-2 Latino emergent bilingual learners.

His research has been published in Reading Research Quarterly, The Elementary School Journal, The Journal of Educational Psychology, Educational Psychology Review, the Journal of Literacy Research, and The Reading Teacher.

Educational Background

• Ph.D., Literacy Education, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC, 2008
• M.Ed., Reading Education, University of North Carolina at Charlotte, Charlotte, NC, 1996
• B.A., Psychology & teacher certification, Hobart College, Geneva, NY, 1994

Professional Experience

• Associate Professor, School of Education, University of Delaware, 2013–present
• Delaware Center for Teacher Education (DCTE) Faculty Scholar in Literacy, University of Delaware, 2013–2018
• Assistant Professor, North Carolina State University, 2008–2013
• Project Director, Targeted Reading Intervention, University of Carolina at Chapel Hill, 2006–2008
• Clinical Literacy Faculty Instructor, University of Carolina at Chapel Hill, 2005–2006

Recent Grants

• Babinksi, L. (PI), Amendum, S., Knotek, S., Sanchez, M. (co-PIs). Efficacy of the DCCS Program: ESL and Classroom Teachers Working Together with Students and Families. U.S. Department of Education, Institute of Education Sciences, English Learners – Efficacy & Replication Grant (Goal 3), 2017–2022. ($3,299,206)
• Amendum, S. (PI), May, H., Karpyn, A., Pasquarella, A., Vernon-Feagans, L., Bratsch-Hines, M., and Babinksi, L. (co-PIs). The Targeted Reading Intervention: Investigating the Efficacy of a Web-Based Early Reading Intervention Professional Development Program for K-1 English Learners. U.S. Department of Education, Institute of Education Sciences, English Learners – Efficacy & Replication Grant (Goal 3), 2016–2021. ($3,299,115)

Recent Professional Awards

• CEHD Dean’s Research Award, College of Education, University of Delaware, 2018
• Early Career Achievement Award, Literacy Research Association, 2015
• Delaware Center for Teacher Education (DCTE) Faculty Scholar in Literacy, University of Delaware, 2013–2018