The Reading Comprehension Collaborative
Discover a Reading Learning Community
Join Us in Enhancing Reading Skills
Welcome to our site
This collaborative project engages educators from the university campus, classrooms representing a broad grade level span, reading specialists representing university reading programs and practicing specialists in school districts within the K-12 system. These dedicated educators work to connect reading research to practical strategies and methodologies in support of comprehension and text analysis.
The primary focus of this project is on designing and implementing researched-based practical strategies that underpin reading instruction for the ever-increasing diverse needs of classrooms. At the core of this project is the concept of building learning scaffolds for readers with diverse learning needs, in the process, developing resources and methodologies that assist teachers in the challenge of meeting those learner needs.
The project thrives on the collaborative work and feedback from teachers in classrooms. They constantly and creatively bring the concepts, strategies, and tools to life in the dynamics of classroom instruction and then provide vital feedback to reflect, review and refine the process. They are true critical friends that keep the project in a continuous learning environment.
Please read, explore and learn about our work. For more information about how we do what we do, feel free to contact us to gain a deeper insight into our project and explore ways to participate in our work.
Educator Resources.
In addition to the deep work focusing on Reading, Comprehension and Text Analysis, becoming a member of The Reading Comprehension Collaborative provides access to; (1) a collection of focused Reading Research, (2) a growing collection of classroom proven Reading Instructional Strategies and (3) a Close Read Passage Library. This collection of Reading resources is available to all who participate in the Project. Teams of educators work to update these files to support the project. The goal is to provide teachers with resources they can access to meet the needs of their students.
Reading Research and Articles
Access to a growing library of Reading Research and Reading Instructional Articles. Latest research data is telling us that the number of students who read off grade level is increasing, creating classrooms of students with differentiated needs. Larger classes, and more diverse learners present significant challenges for our teachers, administrators and the resources needed to meet the requirements of increased rigor. Having access to the latest research on reading provides educators with a deeper understanding of how the learning brain develops and the insight needed to address the diverse needs of student learners.
Reading Instructional Strategies
Access a growing collection of classroom developed, reviewed and refined Reading instructional strategies. These strategies include tools and artifacts to support the deep work of improving comprehension and text analysis skills
Close Reading Multi-Leveled Passages
In addition to the deep work focusing on reading, comprehension and text analysis, the Project also consists of a Close Read Passage Library. This collection of reading resources is available to all who participate in our Professional Learning Sessions. The library includes passages each written at several reading levels so that diverse readers in the classroom can read and comprehend at their level. This allows teachers to raise the rigor of questions and instruction to build deeper comprehension and text analysis skills for students.
Voices From The Field - Join The Conversation
Our Process and How It Works
What We Offer
Welcome to The Reading Comprehension Collaborative, a platform dedicated to providing educators with a range of resources to support reading instruction for classrooms where students are reading at different levels and struggling to comprehend text. Engage in hands-on professional learning sessions designed to implement researched-based strategies for effective classroom instruction. Our platform fosters educational collaboration, bringing reading concepts to life and providing opportunities for valuable feedback to refine instructional strategies.
Professional Learning provides the foundation for collaboration
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Join Us as we expand our learning and deepen our understanding
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District and Regional Leadership Sessions
Building Capacity
The Core Standards in Reading and Language Arts require increased rigor in the teaching and learning process for all students. The Reading Comprehension Collaborative District and Regional Leadership Professional Learning is designed to address the critical issues of reading that face educators in today’s classroom from a management perspective. The District Sessions are designed to work with instructional leaders across the district including grade level team leaders, reading specialists, curriculum and instructional coaches and principals. The Regional Leadership Sessions provide the opportunity for multiple districts to send educational leaders to the learning experience. These sessions prepare the participants to lead reading instruction initiatives at the building level. The session engages participants in research-based instructional strategies that focus on the infrastructure of reading instruction and systemic protocol and strategies to guide and manage the reading interventions in their schools. They provide each participating district with an opportunity to prepare a team to engage and support teachers increasing the potential to successfully embed the initiative in schools and classrooms.
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Reading Instruction Professional Learning
Transforming Theory Into Practice
Two Day Comprehension and Text Analysis Session Format:
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Scaffolding Academic Rigor in Comprehension & Analysis of Text (Day #1)
{Day #1 builds the foundation for rigorous reading, comprehending and analysis of text focusing on the importance of questioning skills to drive learning experiences}
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Exploring the research on how the human brain learns to read and what is fundamental for the brain to comprehend text.
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Examine the constructs of rigor needed for Reading comprehension through the implementation of the Cognitive Complexity Model of Norman Webb.
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Investigate various methodologies for anticipating and addressing challenges and misconceptions that various texts may present to students.
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Develop techniques for selecting challenging and appropriate texts at grade and lexile levels
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Enhance skills in analyzing text’s content, language, purpose, meaning and applicability to meet diverse reading skills in the classrooms.
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Explore the tenets of “Close Reading” that include:
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Analyzing paragraphs, sentences and words for meaning
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Investigating how meanings change through vocabulary shifts
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Proving with evidence, arguments, ideas and details in all kinds of texts
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Examine how shifts in the direction of an argument or explanation are achieved and the impact of those shifts in thinking
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Investigate an Instructional Model developed through a collaborative process that includes educators from universities, districts and classrooms.
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Learn the importance of quality and rigorous questions for use in classroom instruction, on assessments, performance tasks and text analysis formats.
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Introduction to strategies for leading rich and rigorous dialogues through the implementation of well-designed questions and queries about texts
2. Transforming Theory into Practice – (Day #2)
{Day 2 is focused on transferring learning and building capacity. Participants will work in groups with various texts applying learning from Day #1}
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Participant Groups will work with sets of classroom reading data and passages to design Scaffolded Close Reading groups and prepare to explain the decision-making process used to generate their groups.
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Participant Groups will work in guided practice format to work on questioning protocol to drive classroom dialogue and practice critical response strategies to guide student reflective and inquiry learning.
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Participant Groups will work on a comprehensive task to construct a learning experience with a set of classroom data to:
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Close Read selected passages and construct instructional dialogue that unpacks text to enhance comprehension and text analysis using questions to drive instruction
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Use comprehension and text analysis artifacts to scaffold instruction and guide learning experiences that focus on enhancing student comprehension that will be demonstrated through either written response or group discussion protocol.
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Construct an instructional overview explaining how the process increased comprehension for students
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Post Work – Gallery Walk and “Critical Friend” Review
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Model the classroom dynamics that will prepare students at all reading levels to obtain skills to comprehend and analyze texts.
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Establishing an Action Plan for implementing learned strategies in their classroom
Grade Level Classroom Coaching
Focused Intervention
Extended Coaching Model
{Districts can choose to have a series of classroom level work sessions with teachers in a coaching format. This provides for focused work over an extended period and helps to guide teachers through each phase of the protocol – “Close Reading – Text Analysis} This is designed and delivered on an individual basis for each district/school}.
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District identifies staff that will participate in a minimum of 20 hours per teacher of coaching in the Close Reading and Text Analysis protocol.
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Research is telling us that unless the strategies are embedded in the day to day classroom learning experience, the learning is not sustained. Instructional Coaching provides support and feedback over an extended time during the school year to assist teachers in building capacity needed to sustain the learning.
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Teachers receive instructional support with each phase of the text analysis protocol and engage in coaching conferences throughout the year. This professional dialogue guides teachers in personalizing their learning which transfers into increased opportunities for their students’ learning.
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Coaching is conducted both onsite in classrooms and through technology-based conferencing and includes “critical friend” feedback and content-based coaching.
We Are A Community of Learners
Come Join us on our journey to be better tomorrow than we are today
Teaching and learning are human endeavors that are enhanced through the knowledge, insight and practical experiences of critical friends. Join the conversation, make a difference! Contact us for details on how to join this learning community.
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