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The Comprehension Toolkit

Teach Comprehension Across the Curriculum

Put students on the path of lifelong learning by boosting their literacy skills with classroom-ready lessons from The Comprehension Toolkit, designed for grades K–6. Experience a comprehensive approach to teaching comprehension across the content areas using engaging nonfiction texts.


Strategies for Deep Understanding

Dive into a world where inspiring informational texts become gateways to knowledge. The proven strategies of The Comprehension Toolkit ignite curiosity and build comprehension skills essential for academic success across subjects.

Students talking about texts.

Best Practices for Strong Comprehension

Focusing on six research-based comprehension strategies, The Comprehension Toolkit sharpens students’ ability to monitor comprehension, activate background knowledge, ask insightful questions, make inferences, determine importance, and synthesize information—all paving the way for a deeper understanding in the content areas.

Empowering Educator Insights

Supporting growth for both students and educators, The Comprehension Toolkit highlights observable strategies, helping teachers understand students’ thinking, assess their comprehension skills, and tailor instruction to meet diverse learning needs.

Students reviewing materials
Bookcovers

High-Interest Nonfiction Texts

Discover a rich collection of high-quality, high-interest nonfiction texts with The Comprehension Toolkit. Engage students, broaden their knowledge base, and develop essential comprehension skills through resources available in print and digital formats, in both English and Spanish, supporting learning in any classroom setting.

"The Comprehension Toolkit is an invaluable resource for educators looking to engage and enhance student comprehension in a way that makes learning accessible for all students. It empowers teachers to foster deep understanding, critical thinking, and literacy skills in their students."

Trish C., Title 1 Director | Texas

Designed for Teaching Success

The Comprehension Toolkit offers guidance on integrating comprehension strategies throughout the curriculum, helping teachers create impactful literacy learning experiences in any content area.

Classroom chart

Carefully Structured Instruction

Comprehension skills are explicitly taught, modeled, and practiced through thoughtfully sequenced lessons, encouraging students to think critically about texts across subjects. A gradual release of responsibility model is used to help move students from guided to independent practice.

Fostering Discussion and Collaboration

The Comprehension Toolkit emphasizes rich talk and student collaboration as central to strong comprehension. Teachers learn to incorporate these practices to address diverse learning needs and cultivate a classroom where students become independent, confident readers.

Students working together in a classroom.
Teacher Supports

Embedded Coaching and Professional Learning

Expert guidance is embedded within each lesson plan. Additional resources included with The Comprehension Toolkit Teacher Packs provide support in areas such as inquiry-based instruction, small group intervention, and supporting English Language Learners.


Excellence Grounded in Research

The Comprehension Toolkit is built on solid educational research, leveraging inquiry-based learning and meaningful text engagement. Learn about the principles shaping its teaching approach in "The Comprehension Toolkit Research Base."


Empowering English Language Learners

The Comprehension Toolkit promotes active participation and understanding for English Language Learners with lesson scaffolding and language supports—facilitating engagement and more confident collaboration with peers.


Enhance Teaching with Digital Tools

Streamline your teaching with The Comprehension Toolkit's digital resources. Access everything you need for lessons, assessments, and enrichment in one place—making instruction more efficient and effective.

Get Started: Shop The Comprehension Toolkit

Available in Primary (K–2) and Intermediate (3–6) sets, The Comprehension Toolkit provides strategies that help students understand, respond to, and learn from nonfiction text—building background knowledge across the curriculum and throughout the year.

Go Deeper: Explore The Comprehension Toolkit

 

Watch this in-depth walkthrough of The Intermediate Comprehension Toolkit.

Navigation Guides

The following Navigation Guides highlight the lesson goals and teaching language across all components of The Comprehension Toolkit. Click below to explore each component and see how they help differentiate instruction to meet the learning needs and interests of your students.

The Primary Comprehension Toolkit Navigation Guide

The Intermediate Comprehension Toolkit Navigation Guide

Learn More About The Comprehension Toolkit


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Prepare Kids for Test Taking with Comprehension Strategies that Build Strong Readers

Kids need to become powerful, effective readers who tackle complex texts with confidence. Teaching comprehension strategies creates skilled, thoughtful readers who build knowledge and understanding through real world reading.

How to Integrate Comprehension Strategies into Content Area Learning

When we talk about teaching, it's not just about the content we deliver; it's about how we help students engage with and understand that content. Learn about the power of teaching comprehension strategies within the content areas.