ABSTRACT
Educational ideas and practice have moved far since those days but, nevertheless, the basic notion is as true today as it was then and the key to further education is undoubtedly the skill of reading. The level of reading skill required for participation in the affairs of modern society is far that implied in earlier definitions of literacy. Increasingly, courses in higher and further education are being delivered at a distance and in all such distance learning courses the major part of the new information comes through reading, supplemented by audio and video tapes, tutorials, and weekend and Summer schools. Children who read well at seven will probably be reading a great deal and their skills grow rapidly through practice. Reading, on the other hand, is usually taught systematically by professionals and despite this a large minority fails to reach a satisfactory level, even after five, six or seven years of struggle.
