ABSTRACT
Large urban school districts in the United States are grappling with monumental challenges to the goal of universal literacy. In many city centers, fewer than half of third-grade children can read on grade level. For these youngsters, the picture becomes more grim as they progress in grade. Although one should use caution in generalizing about causal factors for such diverse populations, it seems clear that poor reading development is often the traveling companion of poverty, inadequate language development, high student mobility, and ineffective teacher preparation.
