ABSTRACT
Can you predict whether a student will be a struggling reader, a strong reader, an excellent reader? How do you plan instruction to ensure that your students will be prepared to face the daily challenges of new and difficult text? Would you focus primarily on vocabulary or perhaps on developing comprehension skills? The reality is that students' ability to access challenging text has become the crossroads of literacy instruction. In effect, the skills needed to construct meaning from complex text become the gap that many readers cannot cross.
