The authors believe that a primary

cause of reading failure rests with

teachers who, through no fault of

their own, do not know the skills of

reading. Not knowing the skills, they

are unable to teach them. Even when

a teacher does know the skills, her

instruction may be haphazard and

inefficient. She lacks a strategy for

determining what skill each learner

needs at any given moment and for

systematically teaching that skill.

This problem is even more evident

with paraprofessionals, who now fre-

quently assist in teaching reading.

These nonprofessionals, as well as the

professionals, need a systematic guide

for planning and teaching the basic

reading skills.

Systematic Reading Instruction

meets this need. Its structure empha-

sizes the skills of word recognition

and comprehension necessary to attain

a level of functional literacy. Its style

and format appeal to volunteers and

paraprofessionals as well as to teachers.

Its content provides a strategy for

efficiently diagnosing and systematic-

ally teaching the basic reading skills.

This book has a broad range of use.

In a structured basal program it can

provide diagnostic information and

corrective treatment. In partnership

with a language experience approach

or an individualized reading program,

it can provide the necessary structure

and sequencing for supportive skill

development. It can be used with

Head Start, kindergarten, and pri-

mary age children, with remedial

readers, and with adults. It can be