ABSTRACT
Throughout this volume, noted researchers have addressed various aspects of literacy. There have been discussions about learner characteristics, text characteristics, and literacy processes such as phonemic awareness and phonics, vocabulary, fl uency, writing, and oral language development. Researchers in the area of reading comprehension maintain that comprehension is dependent on the interaction of four sets of critical variables: (a) reader variables (age, ability, affect, knowledge bases, and motivation); (b) text variables (genres, format, features, considerateness); (c) educational-context variables (environment, task, social grouping, purpose); and (d) teacher variables (knowledge, experience, attitude, and pedagogical approach) (Ganske & Fisher, 2009; Israel & Duffy, 2008; Snow, 2002).
