The problem of this conference panel was to identify, develop, and compare means by which children's motivation to learn basic reading skills may be strengthened and maintained. In this panel report, four approaches to the problem are offered in the following areas: sociocultural influences which help to determine individual differences in the attitudes, motivations, and skills of young learners; differences in teacher-learner interactions and their implications; differences in instructional approaches and sequences of experiences; and the relationship between learning to read and learning other language communication skills. A list of references is included. (JM)