Designed for both undergraduate and graduate levels, this textbook provides students with basic knowledge of the psychological and linguistic foundations of reading, as well as instructional techniques for use in teaching reading and writing to all elementary school children. The book is designed to answer 3 questions commonly faced by teachers: What to teach? How to teach? Why to teach the recommended way?The first section discusses the background and history of literacy instruction and the psycholinguistics of spoken and written language. The second section covers instructional strategies for developing reading skills. The final section discusses assessment and learning disabilities.