School accountability and high-stakes testing often shift classroom focus from the use of engaging learning activities that promote critical thinking and creativity to simple test preparation practices. Using brain research as a guide, educators may be able to improve test scores, while still providing a balanced education that promotes critical thinking. The purpose of this study was to determine if students who participated in a literature unit based on brain research would have improved reading achievement as measured by the Sunshine State Standards Reading Diagnostic Assessment (SSS-RDA). An experimental group of 25 second-grade students participated in the brain-based literature unit; whereas the control group of 19 second-grade students participated in traditional teaching practices. After the SSS-RDA was administered as the pretest, the experimental group participated in the 12-week intervention while the control group received traditional reading instruction. The SSS-RDA was again administered as the posttest. Dependent sample t-tests were used to document that significant pre/post gains were only observed within the control group. Independent sample t test was used to compare pre/post gains across the experimental and control groups. The reading achievement gains of the experimental group were not significantly different than the gains of the control group. Further analysis of the descriptive data led to the conclusion that a ceiling effect in SSS-RDA pretest scores in the experimental group may have impaired documenting gains in that group. Implications for social change include further understanding the efficacy of brain-based instruction. Theoretically, brain-based instruction allows for creative instructional methods that can lead to improved reading achievement; however, adequately sensitive assessment measures are required to explicitly document its effects. [The dissertation citations contained here are published with the permission of ProQuest LLC. Further reproduction is prohibited without permission. Copies of dissertations may be obtained by Telephone (800) 1-800-521-0600. Web page: http://www.proquest.com/en-US/products/dissertations/individuals.shtml.]