Students in the United States do not read well enough (Showers, Joyce, Scanlon, & Schnaubelt, 1998). While the National Assessment of Educational Progress (2003) reports an encouraging upswing in 8th-grade students' reading performance from 1992 to 2003, this fact does not stem the tide of practical concerns voiced by teachers and community members. From literacy researchers to the President of the United States, the call is out: We must help all students to read better. While this goal is laudable and necessary, the focus has been too narrowly directed at early intervention and "fixing" students before they reach Grade 3. Research overwhelmingly supports the effectiveness of early intervention initiatives (e.g., DeFord, Lyons, & Pinnell, 1991; Hiebert & Taylor, 2000), yet the omission of older students in the literacy initiatives is simply unconscionable. Too many middle level students are in dire need of assistance. This article provides support for this argument in the following sections: Assessment--Learning about the Students (Reading Achievements; and Dispositions); A Program Proposal--Real Reading Interactions (Features of the Classroom; and Understandings of the Teacher); and Moving Forward.