Teachers of standards based, College Prep English classes regularly face resistant and struggling readers who fail to engage, persevere, and comprehend curricular texts. As a result, these readers do not share in class discussions. Therefore, a class discourse was formulated upon Gee's (1996) Social Discourse theory and Leu, Kinzer, Coiro, and Cammack's (2004) New Literacies theory as well as prior classroom observations. Subsequently, the discourse was implemented to address the struggle and resistance to curricular readings. The discourse combined curricular texts with the strategic use of writing, imagery, and music in an electronic, classroom environment. The case study methodology tested four propositions that respectively maintained: using writing, imagery, and music (WIM) as a discourse would improve the resistant and struggling readers' engagement, textual stamina, comprehension, and social-emotional confidence in regard to curricular texts. The WIM discourse respectively included a Mosaic stage for learning the WIM Mosaic strategy and a Narrative stage for learning the WIM Narrative strategy. Nineteen participants from two College Prep English 2 classes at an affluent, Mid-Atlantic, suburban high school were divided into resistant and struggling reader groups, with two exemplars randomly selected from each group and compared to remaining group members. Each reader received explicit instruction and guided practice on how to use the Mosaic and Narrative strategies and an electronic response journal to address curricular texts and share in class discussions. For all exemplars and the majority of additional participants, data analysis revealed improved engagement, textual stamina, comprehension, and the willingness to share in discussions as a result of using the WIM discourse. Implications for teachers focus on: engagement with curricular text, extending textual stamina, cultivating non-linear comprehension, and promoting social-emotional confidence in resistant and struggling readers. [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.bibliotheek.ehb.be/en-US/products/dissertations/individuals.shtml.]