At the core of this text is the belief that learning to read should be a right for all children. From this viewpoint, the book constructs a bridge between current knowledge of reading processes and educational practice by incorporating a comprehensive range of theory, practice and research, and a solid foundation in education and psychological science. Topics covered include: the centrality of literacy to school success; writing systems as a springboard to reading; the nature of reading disabilities; the implementation of new literacy programmes; ways of fostering reading comprehension; contemporary approaches to assessment; suggestions for some common ground for those with holistic and traditional views. The contributors include the late Ernest Boyer and some of the most respected researchers in reading and literacy within the fields of education and psychology: Richard Allington; Kathryn Au; Robert Calfee; Elfrieda Hiebert; Margaret McKeown; P. David Pearson; Charles Perfetti; Joseph Torgeson; and Tom Trabasso.