Middle school students are faced with many challenges. Puberty, social issues, and changes in the way that they learn can cause middle school to be a difficult time. An alarming number of students enter middle school with a reading deficiency--significantly below their grade level expectation. Students who are exceptional learners or are reluctant…

In many U.S. states, legislation seeks to define effective instruction for beginning readers, creating an urgent need to turn to scholars who are knowledgeable about ongoing reading research. This mixed-methods study considers the extent to which recognized literacy experts agreed with recommendations about instruction that were included on a…