Beyond the Surface: Leveraging High-Quality Instructional Materials for Robust Reading Comprehension. Learning Brief
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| Title: | Beyond the Surface: Leveraging High-Quality Instructional Materials for Robust Reading Comprehension. Learning Brief |
|---|---|
| Language: | English |
| Authors: | Dan Reynolds, Sara Rutherford-Quach, Lauren Cassidy, Anna Jennerjohn, Katrina Woodworth, SRI Education |
| Source: | SRI Education, a Division of SRI International. 2025. |
| Availability: | SRI International. 333 Ravenswood Avenue, Menlo Park, CA 94025. Tel: 650-859-2000; e-mail: customer.service@sri.com; Web site: https://www.sri.com/ |
| Peer Reviewed: | N |
| Page Count: | 18 |
| Publication Date: | 2025 |
| Sponsoring Agency: | Charles and Lynn Schusterman Family Philanthropies |
| Document Type: | Reports - Research |
| Education Level: | Elementary Education |
| Descriptors: | Reading Comprehension, Instructional Materials, Reading Instruction, Elementary School Students, Elementary School Teachers, Curriculum Implementation, Educational Practices, Educational Quality |
| Abstract: | Inspired by the increased national attention on literacy, more districts are implementing "high-quality instructional materials" (HQIM) to support students' reading comprehension. In implementing comprehension HQIM, a critical distinction is whether instruction facilitates the development of students' "surface-level" or "robust" comprehension. This brief examines the extent to which teachers in districts using comprehension HQIM implemented them in ways that supported students' robust comprehension. Findings are based on a study of four districts receiving support through the Schusterman Family Philanthropies' School System Partnerships to improve their students' literacy outcomes. These districts were at the national vanguard of HQIM implementation: Each had adopted highly rated knowledge-rich comprehension curriculum, including Core Knowledge Language Arts (CKLA), Wit & Wisdom, and EL Education, for several years before our study, giving us a unique opportunity to examine mature implementation of these commonly used curricula. Findings show that these districts have all reached a level of implementation that features near-universal focus on comprehension with quality texts and active student participation across hundreds of classrooms. However, most lessons--two thirds--resulted in teachers and students doing work that only facilitated surface-level understanding of texts. In this brief, we explain how we discovered this problem hiding in plain sight and identify high-leverage comprehension practices that could help districts, schools, and teachers maximize the potential of comprehension HQIM and consistently deliver high-quality instruction to every student. |
| Abstractor: | As Provided |
| Entry Date: | 2026 |
| Accession Number: | ED679855 |
| Database: | ERIC |
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