Within the context of President Bush's Reading First and Early Reading First initiatives to improve early literacy skills for preschool children and reading literacy skills for primary children, a national invitational conference on successful reading instruction was held in Washington, DC, on November 12-13, 2001. It focused on determining how best to implement what is known about reading instruction and how to make the most informed judgments in cases where research offers less guidance. To frame discussion, the conference organizers commissioned papers from scholars of reading on a variety of topics important for linking research to both policy and practice. Educators, researchers, policymakers, and parents were invited to discuss the implications of the papers and to discuss their experiences, concerns, and lessons learned. This issue of "The LSS Review" provides a synopsis of those recommendations and summaries of the commissioned papers. It contains the following papers: "Linking Reading Research and Practice: Next-Step Recommendations" (Michael L. Kamil; Herbert J. Walberg; JoAnn B. Manning); "Successful Uses of Computer Technology for Reading Instruction" (Helen S. Kim and Michael L. Kamil); "How Can Children Be Taught to Comprehend Text Better?" (Michael Pressley and Katherine Hilden); "Interventions for Children Experiencing Early Reading Difficulties" (Rebecca Barr); "From Policy to Practice: Using Literacy Standards in Early Reading Instruction" (Deanna Birdyshaw; Ellen Pesko; Karen Wixson; Nina Yochum); "Improving Reading Achievement through Professional Development" (Dorothy S. Strickland); "Reading in Discipline/Content Materials" (Donna Alvermann); "Engagement and Motivation in Reading Instruction" (John T. Guthrie); and "Good First Teaching: Making the Critical Difference for All Students" (Gay Su Pinnell). (NKA)