About the Author

Dr. M. Joao Mendes is an experienced middle school classroom teacher of culturally and linguistically diverse students. Like many other teachers, Dr. Mendes was not provided with the professional preparation to teach nonliterate students to read in her middle school classroom. She made addressing their literacy needs mission. This program is the outcome of her field-based research for her doctoral dissertation. She earned her doctorate from Lesley University in 2018.

Dr. M. Joao Mendes is an experienced middle school classroom teacher of culturally and linguistically diverse students. Like many other teachers, Dr. Mendes was not provided with the professional preparation to teach nonliterate students to read in her middle school classroom. She made addressing their literacy needs her mission. This program is the outcome of her field-based research for her doctoral dissertation. She earned her doctorate from Lesley University in 2018.