Scaffolding Complex Texts: How to Plan and Teach for Deeper Comprehension in Grades 5–8

The goal of reading development isn’t to steer students away from complexity but to help them grow into it, argues Mitchell Brookins, drawing on both research and years of classroom practice. As students become more skilled readers, they must learn to make sense of increasingly challenging texts, and with the right instruction, they can. 

In Scaffolding Complex Texts, Brookins provides a practical planning framework for designing and delivering instruction—instruction that helps adolescent readers understand how texts are built, identify key ideas, and comprehend more deeply. Teachers learn how to guide their students through the rich intellectual work of engaging with demanding texts through routines that support key comprehension targets, including: 

• Fluency 
• Vocabulary
• Text structure analysis 
• Syntax 
• Writing about reading 

Filled with ready-to-use lesson-planning guidelines and templates, sample texts, and companion videos, this book helps educators refine their instructional moves so that students can read demanding texts with greater confidence, competence, and insight.