Teacher (Use and) Scaffolding of Complex Texts: Supporting Elementary Teachers' Instructional Shifts in Core Reading Comprehension 323 views

Proficient reading is defined not only as the process of accurately and fluently decoding words but also as the ability to construct meaning from what is read (Oakhill et al., 2015). Yet national reading scores on standardized assessments have continued to decline over recent decades (NAEP, 2024), demonstrating students’ ongoing difficulties with reading comprehension (RC). Hawks Elementary School (HES), the local context for this capstone, grapples with these same RC difficulties, particularly as texts become increasingly complex in the upper elementary grades. To comply with new mandates set forth by the Virginia Literacy Act (VDOE, 2022), HES adopted and implemented a new core reading program, Benchmark Advance. The implementation of Benchmark Advance led to significant instructional shifts for teachers at HES. This study explored the instructional shift of integrating complex, grade-level texts in RC instruction. Data collection included: 1) a document analysis of complex texts and corresponding RC lessons from Benchmark Advance, 2) a focus group, and 3) one-on-one teacher interviews. Based on limited experience in teaching RC with complex texts, HES teachers noted that one of the greatest instructional challenges of implementation was learning how to effectively use and scaffold complex texts, particularly for multilingual learners. Findings from this study informed recommendations for instructional leaders on how to best support teachers in using and scaffolding complex texts during RC instruction.

EDD (Doctor of Education)

reading comprehension; complex texts; core reading; RC instruction; scaffolding; teacher support; instructional shifts; multilingual learners

English

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2025-07-08