Effective educators plan reading instruction by considering all of the contributing variables: the students' background knowledge, cultural heritages, oral language, strengths and needs, home influences, as well as the current educational environment and the type of text (expository, narrative ...). Each variable is powerful and could easily encompass its own article. In this article, the author discusses the last variable--"the current educational environment"--and its impact on reading instruction. The author also discusses the difference between a content teacher and a reading teacher.