ABSTRACT
Trends in reading instruction can be traced back decades to reveal a cyclical discussion of the importance of word-level instruction and of modified or engineered texts to literacy learning success (J.Cunningham, 1999). Not long ago, authentic literature was widely considered essential for young readers. Currently, at least two states and many school districts in the United States have mandated the use of highly decodable texts in primarygrade classrooms. This return to engineered texts for reading instruction has fueled a new round of debate. This chapter discusses the relationship between word identification instruction and the characteristics of texts that are most likely to support successful word identification learning.
