Upcoming Workshop
"Advancing Content Acquisition: Practical Strategies for Building Thinking Through Comprehension, Academic Vocabulary, and Collaborative Reasoning"
Presenters: Andrea Reade, Founder and Principal Consultant of
Thursday, October 1, 2026
Registration begins at 8:30 am
The program runs from 9:00 am to 2:30 pm
Kittery Community Center, 120 Rogers Rd, Kittery, ME 03904
WORKSHOP DESCRIPTION
Middle grades students are expected to read increasingly complex texts, learn sophisticated academic vocabulary, evaluate evidence, and communicate their thinking across every content area. Yet many students continue to struggle—not because they cannot decode, but because they lack the comprehension, language, and reasoning skills necessary for deeper learning.
This highly interactive workshop provides classroom-ready strategies grounded in the latest research on adolescent literacy. Participants will experience instructional routines that strengthen comprehension, accelerate vocabulary growth, and foster collaborative academic discussions that improve student thinking across disciplines.
Rather than adding "one more thing" to teachers' workload, participants will learn practical instructional approaches that integrate naturally into existing curriculum in English Language Arts, Science, and Social Studies.
Participants will leave with immediately usable strategies, planning tools, and classroom resources that can be implemented the very next day.
LEARNING OUTCOMES
Participants will:
• Understand how comprehension, vocabulary, and collaborative reasoning work together to improve student learning.
• Learn evidence-based comprehension routines that support understanding of complex text.
• Explore research-supported vocabulary practices that move students beyond memorization toward deep conceptual understanding.
• Experience collaborative reasoning structures that promote evidence-based discussion and critical thinking.
• Adapt strategies for ELA, science, and social studies classrooms.
• Develop an implementation plan for immediate classroom application.
IMPORTANT INFORMATION: If you use the interactive form, please remember to do a "Save As" after you type in your information to save the form to your computer. Then you can print the form to mail or attach the form to email to NELMS.
Presenter Information
Andrea Reade
Andrea Reade is the Founder and Principal Consultant of Literacy Advantage, LLC, where she partners with schools and districts to strengthen adolescent literacy through evidence-based instructional practices, leadership development, and strategic planning. With more than 20 years of experience working alongside teachers, school leaders, state education agencies, and national organizations, Andrea specializes in helping educators improve reading comprehension, academic vocabulary, disciplinary literacy, and student engagement across content areas. Known for her practical, research-informed approach, she designs professional learning that equips educators with immediately applicable strategies that lead to deeper student thinking and lasting instructional impact.