While it is appreciated that research on many of the details of early language learning is still required, one of the main themes of this paper is that solutions to the major problems of beginning reading are already known. In general, there has been a sufficiency of research, and what is now needed is action to implement the results already obtained. This action is needed in three areas: in helping to make good the severe deficiencies in oracy that exist in so many children before they come to school; in ensuring that teachers, both at the initial level and in service, are given better training in teaching beginners to read and are made aware of the results that research has already supplied; and in ensuring that steps are taken without delay to draw the attention of all concerned with education to the problems that are caused by using traditional orthography to teach beginners to read and to encourage the use of proven alternatives. (Author/WR)