Thinking Beyond the Page: Strategies for Developing Deep Comprehension
Are your students equipped to analyze, question, and think critically about the texts they read?
Comprehension is a complex process and the ultimate goal of reading. Join us to learn practical strategies to support your students to go from surface-level comprehension to deep, critical thinking about what they read.
- Classroom Teachers 3-8
- Interventionists/Specialists
- Literacy Coaches/Teacher Leaders
Deep comprehension requires students to go beyond basic recall of facts or plot and engage with the content of texts in complex ways. This helps students develop their ability to infer, synthesize, analyze and critique complex texts. When students fully understand what they read, they can better express their thoughts, engage in discussions with confidence, and learn more from texts. Additionally, deep comprehension boosts reading independence as students become self-assured in their ability to navigate new challenges.
Topics
- Analyze high-quality, complex texts to identify learning opportunities to deepen students’ comprehending
- Teach students to apply background knowledge to strengthen text comprehension
- Develop questions and prompts to engage students in complex conversations about texts
- Identify vocabulary development strategies that support comprehending texts
- Engage students in writing about reading to reflect on their understanding, expand their thinking, and think analytically about texts
You’ll earn 10 clock hours for this training.
Linda Murphy, Associate Director, Literacy Programs 
Linda has worked in school districts in New York in a variety of roles and settings. Prior to her joining the center at Lesley University, Linda held positions as a principal of an intermediate school, a Director of English Language Arts, Social Studies and Reading, a district trainer for Literacy Collaborative Intermediate, a Reading Recovery Teacher Leader and a classroom teacher. Linda holds licenses in Elementary Education and School District Administration.
Nikki Drury, Literacy Trainer
Nikki worked as a literacy coach and teacher in public school for many years before joining the Center for Reading Recovery and Literacy Collaborative as an Intermediate Trainer. She has experience as a primary and intermediate classroom teacher and literacy instructional coach at the intermediate level. Over the years, she has worked with students, educators, and administrators to improve literacy outcomes.
Required Materials
- Prompting Guide Part 2 for Comprehension (mailed to you as part of registration)
Cancellation Deadline & Refund Policies
You have until one week before the first day of this offering to cancel your registration. The cancellation deadline is April 29, 2025. There is a $50 cancellation fee. If you request a cancellation after the deadline, you will not be issued a refund. Substitution requests are acceptable. Please email CRRLC@lesley.edu if you have a cancellation or substitution request.
Registration Deadline
The registration portal closes at 5pm ET on May 5, 2025. If you register within the week before the start of this training, you may experience delays in receiving the required professional text included with your registration and you may incur additional fees for expedited shipping.
Requirements for Participation
After the training, you will receive a certificate of attendance for your participation. To receive a complete certificate, participation during the specified times is required. Additional work may be assigned to meet the clock hours.
In-Person or Virtual Attendance
You may choose to attend this training in-person at Lesley University or virtually in real time. Should any of the conditions change and it is determined the training will be offered virtually only, you will be notified as soon as possible. We recommend that you contact us before reserving travel and lodging.
If you choose to attend in-person, the training room will have Lesley University’s HyFlex Classroom Technology to support an engaging learning environment for in-person and virtual participants. If you have questions about in-person or virtual attendance, please email us at CRRLC@lesley.edu.
On-Site Professional Development
We can deliver this training to your school/district. This option can be delivered virtually or in-person for a group within your school/district. For detailed costs, complete our online form to request this training for your school/district and we will contact you.
Interested in professional learning at your school or district? Schedule a meeting with one of our faculty trainers
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