ABSTRACT
This introduction presents an overview of the key concepts discussed in the subsequent chapters of this book. The book re-examines reading and learning to read and their relationship with spoken language, and attempts to define more clearly the field in which the teacher has to operate when teaching children to read. It considers the whole range of learning to read for all children in the primary years, up to the age of eleven. The chapter aims to stimulate further discussion and result in steps being taken to give all junior school children a skilfully prepared programme, which will improve their ability to use their reading skill as an efficient tool for further learning and enjoyment. The main trouble has been that these ways were frequently too haphazard in their application and did not achieve the desired standards of efficient reading.
