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WHITEPAPER

Reaching Grade-Level Reading with Reading Scaffolds

Student reaching mountain top with flag that says Grade-Level Expectations.

Each year, data shows American students are not attaining grade-level reading expectations. This truth is alarming because reading is a keystone academic skill and a foundational necessity for college, career, and social success.

In this whitepaper, Curriculum Associates National Director Kandra James explores how scaffolding, the use of instructional techniques and cognitive supports to help students access and progress in their learning, can help all students reach grade-level reading proficiency.

James shares important research and proven scaffolding techniques. Over the course of her paper, she shows how reading scaffolds promote student agency and lead to students developing the reading skills they need to thrive in their learning and life endeavors.

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About the Author

Kandra James, M.A.T., was a senior national director of content and implementation at Curriculum Associates. She served the education community for more than 20 years, and her rich experience included providing technical training and curriculum development for the US Department of Justice and teaching Grades K–9 students in Philadelphia and Washington, DC. Kandra held a bachelor’s degree in psychology from Temple University and a master’s degree in teaching from Trinity University. In 2025, Kandra lost her hard-fought battle with cancer. She was deeply valued by her colleagues for her passion and dedication to her students and her work to improve how students learn and thrive.

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