Noting that children in literate societies all learn the sound-symbol relationships of their languages but that orthographies, sound-symbol relationships, and societal attitudes toward literacy differ, the essays in this book explore both the universal and the culturally constrained aspects of the process of learning to read. Following an introduction that provides an overview of the book, the essays and their authors are as follows: (1) "Cognitive and Linguistic Components of Reading Ability" (Charles A. Perfetti); (2) "Some Reflections on Verbal Efficiency Theory" (Elizabeth Ghatala); (3) "Phonological Skills and Learning to Read and Write" (Peter Bryant); (4) "Phonological Skills and Learning to Read and Write: Reactions and Implications" (Jerome Rosner); (5) "How Do Japanese Children Learn to Read?: Orthographic and Eco-cultural Variables" (Giyoo Hatano); (6) "Non-Alphabetic Codes in Learning to Read: The Case of the Japanese" (Barbara R. Foorman); (7) "Beginning Reading in Chinese and English" (Shin-ying Lee, James W. Stigler, Harold W. Stevenson); and (8) "The Reading Achievement Game: Cognitive Universals and Cultural Restraints" (Alexander W. Siegel). (HTH)