ABSTRACT
The debate over whether early reading instruction should focus on print systems or meaning systems has long claimed the attention of many passionate reading experts. There seems to be a need among educators to decide that either print or comprehension is the most important aspect of learning to read. Educators involved in early reading instruction can systematically consider both of these aspects of learning to read to help students develop proficiency with print and meaning and, most importantly, to thoughtfully use them to develop understandings in the other. As students actively search for meaning in the text or work to answer questions that push them to comprehend, it is often worthwhile to ask them to explain how they figure out some meaning aspect of the text. Literacy researchers and practitioners have long debated the roles of print and meaning in teaching reading and in learning to read.
