UNC School of Education

Assistant Professor of Literacy Studies

T 919.843.4807
F 919.962.1533
lahall@email.unc.edu

301H Peabody Hall
CB 3500

Leigh A. Hall, an assistant professor of literacy education, began her career teaching sixth-grade language arts and social studies in Houston, Texas where she discovered that many of her students were unsuccessful at comprehending expository text. Recognizing that little research addressed the needs of struggling middle school readers, she was inspired to further her education and contribute to the field.

Currently, Hall teaches literacy courses in the Elementary Education Program, for teachers in the M.Ed. Program for Experienced Teachers and for doctoral students preparing to be scholars in the field of literacy. She is actively involved with the National Reading Conference, American Educational Research Association and the National Middle School Association.

• Ph.D. 2005 - Michigan State University, Teacher Education
• M.Ed. 1997 - Peabody College of Vanderbilt University, Elementary Education
• B.S. 1996 - University of South Florida, Elementary Education

• Literacy
• Comprehension
• Struggling Readers
• Adolescent Literacy
• Research Overview

• Literacy Studies
• Early Childhood, Family and Literacy

• 2008, Semi-Finalist for National Academy of Education/Spencer Postdoctoral Fellowship
• 2006, Outstanding Dissertation Award by the International Reading Association
• 2004, Semi-Finalist for Spencer Dissertation Fellowship
• 2002-2004, Spencer Research Training Grant

• The Effects of Discussion and Writing on the Comprehension Development of Middle School Students; Lezley and Jeff Hoffman
• Seed Grant Research Award; $14,280.00
• How book clubs influence pre-service teachers' understanding of socio-cultural theory as applied to literacy

• 2003-present: Reviewer for IRA's Read, Write, Think
• 2004-present: Reviewer, National Reading Conference Proposals
• 2004-present: Reviewer, Research in Middle Level Education
• 2004: Co-Chair for National Reading Conference Saturday session for Teachers

Hall, L. A. (in press). Struggling reader, struggling teacher: An examination of student-teacher transactions with reading instruction and text in social studies. Research in the Teaching of English.

Hall, L. A. (in press). Learning and teaching reading. In E. Anderman & L. Anderman (Eds.). Psychology of Classroom Learning: An Encyclopedia. Thomson Gale Publishers.

Hall, L. A. & Piazza, S. V. (in press). Critically reading texts: What students do and how teachers can help. The Reading Teacher.

Amendum, S. J., Li, Y., Hall, L. A., Fitzgerald, J., Creamer, K. H., Head-Reeves, D. M., & Hollingsworth, H. M. (in press). Which reading instruction characteristics matter for early reading achievement? Reading Psychology.

Hall, L. A. (2007). Bringing Television Back to the Bedroom: Transactions Between a Seventh Grade Struggling Reader and her Mathematics Teacher. Reading Research and Instruction, 46, (4), 287-314.

Hall, L. A. (2007). Understanding the Silence: Struggling Readers Discuss Decisions about Reading Expository Text. Journal of Educational Research, 100, (3), 132-141.

Duke, N. K., Purcell-Gates, V., Hall, L.A., & Tower, C. (2006). Authentic literacy activities for developing comprehension and writing. The Reading Teacher, 60, (4), 344-355.

Hall, L. A. (2006). IRA Outstanding Dissertation Award for 2006: Anything but lazy: New understandings about struggling readers, teaching, and text. Reading Research Quarterly, 41, (4), 424-426.

Hall, L. (2005). Teachers and content area reading: Attitudes, beliefs, and change. Teaching and Teacher Education, 21, (4), 403-14.

Hall, L. (2005). Comprehending expository texts: Promising strategies for struggling readers and students with reading disabilities? Reading Research and Instruction, 44, (2), 75-95.

Hall, L. A. Goldston, B. & Gillenwater, C. (March, 2008). Using think-alouds to assess students’ comprehension strategy use. Paper presented at the North Carolina State Reading Conference, Greensboro, NC.

Hall, L. A. (March, 2008). More than strategies: The role of identity in students' comprehension development. Paper presented at the North Carolina State Middle School Conference, Greensboro, NC.

Hall, L. A. & Piazza, S. V. (May, 2008). Using texts to transform or maintain? How issues of diversity impact student/teacher interpretations of text. Paper to be presented at International Reading Association, Atlanta, GA.

Burns, L. & Hall, L. A. (December, 2007). The problem of mentoring in doctoral literacy education. Paper presented at the National Reading Conference, Austin, TX.

Piazza, S. V. & Hall, L. A. (December 2007). Understanding issues of diversity in literacy instruction. Paper presented at the National Reading Conference, Austin, TX.

Hall, L. A. (2006). Methodology is not enough: Transactions between content area teachers, struggling readers and text in content area classrooms. Paper presented at the National Reading Conference, Los Angeles, CA.