Humphrey, J., (2002). There is no simple way to build a Middle School Reading Program. PHI DELTA KAPPAN. 754-7
Humphrey draws attention to the fact that many middle school children are having troubles reading. This is because many of the reading problems went un addressed when in a secondary school setting. Unfortunately, in some middle schools, children do not have access to trained reading teachers, therefore their reading and comprehension skills go unaided. To combat this increasing problem, Humphrey points out that the government has created standards for each grade level. He also feels that 7the state should "provide schools and teachers with very specific information" in areas such as comprehension, vocabulary building and understanding various genres. To get the reading levels up, new materials and equipment (textbooks, computers and a wide variety of reading materials) are needed, for he strongly regards "reading as a vital and productive part of middle school instruction."

Hyatt, K. Reading Boys. [Online]. Accessed 06/25/02:
http://www.umaine.edu/research/UMTReading.htm
A research of boys literacy, composed by Wilhelm and Smith, has found some information, which does not fit with the generalization of boys not reading. They have discovered that there is a large difference between literacy in the school system, and out of the school system. Their concern is that "assessment of boys' literacy achievement is weighed entirely by their success in school." It was found with the boys in the study that they read many different genres outside of school, and thought that it was important to read. The boys read materials which were not offered in schools, such as comics and specialty magazines, to name a few. Wilhelm and Smith discovered that none of the boys had a dislike for literacy, they only rejected school literacy. They recommend that teachers should broaden their vision on what they think constructive reading is. Give the students a choice of what to read and get to know the students, to see what interests them.

Ingham, C. (2000). Responding to Poetry. http://www.lessontuttor.com/ci.html
Although this helpful guide is intended for helping grade eleven students get a grasp on poetry, the basic underlying principles on comprehending poems can also be used for young adolescents in elementary. One main problem with children is that they are intimidated by the complexity of poetry, and many children are unfamiliar with it. Ingham believes that when these two handicaps are looked at, there is the concern of comprehension. "They [children] must fully understand a poem before they can speak or write about it." When children are exposed to more poetry, they will become more comfortable with it. To create a comfortable feeling with poetry, Ingham provides a step-by-step guide on analysis, including sample poems and questions.