Beginning to Read reconciles the debate that has divided theorists for decades over what is the "right" way to help children learn to read. Drawing on a rich array of research on the nature and development of reading proficiency, Marilyn Adams shows educators that they need not remain trapped in the phonics versus teaching-formeaning dilemma and offers instructional alternatives. She proposes that phonies can work together with the "whole language" approach to teaching reading and provides an integrated treatment of the knowledge and processes involved in skillful reading, the issues surrounding their acquisition, and the implications for reading instruction

Broad in scope and clearly written, Beginning to Read provides fresh insights into the relationship between thinking and learning. Developing the new connectionist theory as it relates to reading and its acquisition, Adams underscores the automatic nature of print perception in skillful readers while contrasting it with the attentive thought required for conceptual learning and understanding

Adams reviews the history of debate over approaches to reading instruction as well as the research on their effectiveness, She consistently integrates instructional concerns with meticulous attention to research and theory from education, developmental and cognitive psychology, and linguistics. Throughout, she emphasizes the interdependence of meaning appreciation and orthographic facility in both fluent reading and its acquisition. Relevant learning theory is presented along with discussion of the roles of experience, practice, direct instruction, rules, thinking and understanding. Adams stresses the importance ofpreschool language and literacy experiences and includes descriptions of those that will best prepare children for reading instruction.

Marilyn Jager Adams is a Senior Scientist at Bolt Beranek and Newman Inc. She was Principal Author and Curriculum Coordinator/Editor for the five volume classroom instruction series, Odyssey: A Curriculum for Thinking. Beginning to Read was developed in conjunction with the Reading Research and Education Center at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. Learning, Development, and Conceptual Change series.