ABSTRACT
This chapter begins with terminological problems, and tries to describe the criteria of a balanced beginning reading/writing programme. As a theoretical basis, it uses (a) the characteristics of the given language and orthographical system, (b) the effects of aspects of psycholinguistics on child language development and the emergent literacy of the child, especially research on phonemic awareness, (c) the experience gained from the history of reading/ writing instruction and, (d) philosophy; i.e., the influence of philosophical schools on education. After some necessary background information, the chapter describes the phonic-analytic-synthetic method widely used in Hungary, then introduces the reading programmes launched after 1978. It concentrates on an heuristic programme elaborated by Tolnai (1991), and the intensive/combined programme elaborated by Lovasz and Adamik (1991).
