Leigh A. Hall

Provides classroom-tested methods for engaging struggling middle grade readers— even those who appear to have given up— and fostering their success. Outlines effective, innovative strategies for instruction and assessment in comprehension, vocabulary, text-based discussion, critical reading, and other core areas. 

Uses a formative design to consider how an instructional model intended to support students' reading identities and development influenced their talk about classroom reading practices. Shows that while teachers can create a context that helps students reconstruct their reading identities, they will need to foster a climate where students support each other's growth as readers and development of reading identities. 

Discusses the role of identity in reading instruction and development.

Examines how blogging worked to support inservice K through 12 literacy teachers' professional development. Finds that the blogging that occurred in this study demonstrated that, without support, teachers are unlikely to engage in critical reflection either in their writing of blog posts or in the comments they leave. Suggests that providing structures that support critical reflection can reshape how teachers approach blogging and shift how they view literacy learning and instruction.

Explores how middle school struggling readers and their content-area teachers made decisions about how to work with classroom reading tasks and each other over a period of one academic year. 

Examines an instructional framework intended to help middle school teachers create instruction that responds to students' reading identities while also helping students learn the skills they need to be successful readers. Uses a formative design approach in order to achieve 3 pedagogical goals with middle school students. 

Shows how reading instruction can be constructed in ways that are encourage engagement for adolescents' with academic reading difficulties.