Students are not acquiring grade level reading skills at an alarming rate while research provides the what and how of effective reading instruction. This qualitative descriptive case study was designed to understand and describe the perceptions and practices of general and special educators of reading related to their knowledge and delivery of reading instruction that align with scientifically based reading research, including intensifying instructional delivery. Experts agree that a well-informed teacher is key to students acquiring appropriate reading skills, yet research does not provide a view of those used within the reading classroom. The conceptual framework, the National Center for Improving Literacy's Intensification Framework, and research articles and reports describe the interplay of all of the components of reading instruction and outline the what and how of this instruction. Through manual coding and thematic analysis of data collected from interviews, surveys, lesson plans, and a focus group, seventeen general and special educators provided their understandings of perceptions and practices related to reading instruction. Findings described their perceptions and practices and confirmed an understanding of the interplay or interwoven nature of the what and how. These findings supported the research that aligns with scientifically based reading research. The emerging themes centered around teacher behaviors, student behaviors, instructional practices, data practices, training practices, and barriers related to the delivery of appropriate reading instruction. While the participants understood the interplay of perceptions and practices, they did not describe the layering on of instructional techniques to support more intense instructional delivery. The insight into how educators of reading perceive the interwoven nature of perceptions and practices and the lack of deeper knowledge around intensive instructional techniques to support student need adds to understanding methods to close the identified gap between instruction and acquisition. [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.]