Having divided those aspects of linguistics which have direct concern with the teaching of reading into two general types--phonology and usage (content and structure)--it was stressed that a teacher can employ both, understanding that initial recognition of sound symbols is necessary and that the point of developing reading skill is to enable children to grasp concepts in context. A summary of the role of linguistics as it developed in the teaching of reading reviewed generally accepted principles about our language and its use. An eclectic approach to teaching reading was outlined, stressing that (1) letters should be learned before words and words before much exposure to large sentence patterns; (2) speech must come first, then writing and reading; (3) consistent words should be taught before inconsistent words; and (4) basic words and patterns should be presented before uncommon words and patterns. Techniques such as expansion, coupling, cueing, mobility activities, slotting, additive activities, scrambling, skimming, and cloze exercises were recommended. An analysis of the vocabularies in beginning readers published by four companies showed that the sound symbols for which children develop skill in later years--such as r's, s's, and t's--were stressed in the texts' vocabularies. References are included. (BT)