Holistic approaches to remedial reading can be effective in promoting the reading growth of poor readers. Learning to read is most effective when it occurs in a context of functional and meaningful literacy activity. In order to create such a context students need to be engaged with real texts in a search for meaning. Repeated readings, taped readings, the Neurological Impress Method, and phrase-cued texts help readers deal with real texts. Each of these approaches, and variations and combinations that can be developed by creative and insightful teachers, offer remedial teachers proven techniques for developing fluency in holistic and meaningful ways. (Twenty-one references are attached.) (RS)