The Collaboration to Improve Reading in the Content Areas (CIRCA) project, a collaborative effort between the Center for the Study of Reading and the Chicago Public Schools, is described in this paper. Noting that the project was designed to translate research about content area reading into practice, the first section briefly discusses the background of the project and the development of CIRCA instructional materials. The second section, comprised of two parts, first discusses the following components of the CIRCA materials: (1) a summary text, which includes essays about United States history, a glossary matrix, and a timeline matrix; (2) a student handbook, in which all of the lessons contain one to three activities presented in a set format; and (3) a teacher manual, in which all of the lessons contain a one-page overview, a lesson plan, and an appendix. This is followed by a description of the research basis and rationale for each major skill and strategy instruction contained in the materials. Reading/studying skills and strategies identified include: a four-step general studying strategy, organizing information, developing vocabulary, and exploring question/answer relationships. Writing skills and strategies identified include use of the informative mode, and point of view. A reference list and 20 figures are provided. (JD)