This much-needed resource is filled with lively and inspiring stories from teachers who overcame challenges with underperforming and struggling learners-many of them special needs students-to make significant breakthroughs in reading and writing instruction. The teachers reveal their trials, errors, and triumphs in how they discovered particular instructional strategies or incorporated modeling and motivational techniques that best addressed students' learning needs and opened a path to success. Compelling and absorbing, the book includes unusual and often surprising approaches for connecting with students, including books that made a difference.

• Offers wisdom, inspiration, and guidance on working with varied students to improve reading and writing skills
• Contains 29 stories from real-world teachers who have had success in teaching literacy
• Summary sections focus on key breakthrough strategies, lessons learned, reflection questions, actions tips, and recommended resources
• Describes effective modeling, motivational, and engagement practices