This bulletin summarizes and interprets some of the main findings of "Survey of the Literature on Methods and Materials in Reading," by Martha J. Maxwell and George Temp, Chapter IV of "The Information Base for Reading: A Critical Review of the Information Base for Current Assumptions Regarding the Status of Instruction and Achievement in Reading in the United States," the final report of a study prepared for the U. S. Office of Education (see ED 054 922). The bulletin focuses on the different methods used to teach reading and the differences in their results. Three previous summaries of research are evaluated, and the rationale for this study is given. Methods and criteria used to screen studies for review and criticism in "The Information Base for Reading" are presented, and the classification and ratings given the studies are provided. It is reported that little valuable information was extracted from this survey, due to the ineffectiveness of educational research in general. It is recommended that future research concentrate on the reasons children lose interest in reading after grade 8 and on ways of helping students acquire a large enough vocabulary to make the transition from juvenile to adult books. The adoption of whole-word methods, the Bliesmer-Yarborough Study, and the Initial Teaching Alphabet are reviewed. A bibliography is provided. (For related documents, See TM 002 358, 385) (KM)