Her interest in how to facilitate change within the literacy classroom using service learning as a methodology is a focus of her research interest. She also has experience in field-based literacy instruction. Dr. Dent’s other areas of focus are pre service teacher preparation in the field of literacy and parental involvement as well as reading in the content area, critical literacy and why struggling readers slip through the cracks in the educational system. Dr. Dent teaches Children’s Literature both at the undergraduate and graduate level, Reading in the Middle School, and is the EKU Director of the Kentucky Reading Project.