Reflecting recent insights on the process of learning to read and its relationship to oral language development and writing, the articles in this book provide a range of perspectives, ideas for further empirical investigations in classrooms, extensive reference lists for further reading, and implications for practice throughout a child's education. Following an introduction by Margaret M. Clark, the titles of the 14 articles and their authors are as follows: (1) "Language Prerequisites for Reading" (John A. McInnes); (2) "Language Skills and Reading: A Developmental Perspective" (Margaret Donaldson and Jessie Reid); (3) "Language and School Failure: Some Speculations about the Relationship between Oral and Written Language" (Marion Blank); (4) "The Child's Understanding of the Functions and Processes of Communication" (John Downing); (5) "Some Factors in Pre-School Children of Relevance to Learning to Read" (Wendy Sutton); (6) "Predisposing Factors in Early Literacy: A Case Study" (Margaret van Lierop); (7) "The Relationship between Oral and Written Language: The Children's Viewpoints" (Emilia Ferreiro); (8) "Cognitive Processes in Spelling and their Relevance to Spelling Reform" (Uta Frith); (9) "Writing and Reading: A Marriage between Equals" (Jennifer E. Barr); (10) "The Intermediate Skills Revisited" (John E. Merritt); (11) "Literacy Is Not Enough" (John Pearce); (12) "Reading: Effective Communication through Text" (Geoffrey E. Lewis); (13) "Parents as Teachers of Literacy" (Max Kemp); and (14) "Language and Concepts: Play or Work? Seriousness or Fun? Basics or Creativity?" (Mogens Jansen). (HOD)