Creating a strong link between up-to-date research findings and classroom practice, this book analyzes, compares, and critiques prevalent classroom strategies in light of expertise available in other countries. The theme of the volume, that form and meaning can be united from an early point in the reading curriculum, is clearly developed and reinforced from different perspectives. The book is a distinctive blend of assimilated research results and cogently argued teaching recommendations. It provides solutions to common problems that have proved successful in other countries, and opens up alternatives that presently are not described in the literature.