ABSTRACT
Danish and English are similar in many ways. Both are Germanic languages with deep orthographies. Both in Denmark and in the United States, reading and writing are usually taught through a variety of approaches such as phonics, whole word, and whole language. Because Danish orthography also shares some basic similarities with English, Danish children would be expected to acquire reading and writing skills in ways that are similar to those of English-speaking children. This is so in spite of the fact that Danish children do not receive formal instruction in reading until the age of 7 years. The available evidence summarized in this chapter suggests that initial reading and spelling development in Danish is indeed similar to that in English.
