Why is it important for children to begin learning to read in kindergarten?

Presently there is great interest in teaching young children to read, even before they enter kindergarten (National Early Literacy Panel, 2008). Whereas formal reading instruction used to begin in first grade in the US, now it starts in kindergarten. Even preschool teachers may teach foundational skills in reading. Teaching reading early is viewed as the solution to reducing the high number of American children lacking reading proficiency (Snow et al., 1998). The purpose of this chapter is to consider what learning to read involves and whether there are advantages in teaching children to read early.