In discussing instructional approaches to reading, this book offers several definitions of reading and discusses teaching techniques, including early methods, the basal approach, and recent trends, among them the phonics approach, the linguistics approach, the language experience approach, the initial teaching alphabet, individualized reading, concept development, and programmed and multi-media approaches. A section on reading research considers meaning-emphasis programs, code-emphasis programs, other instructional approaches, and the problem of definitive research. Implications for the classroom teacher are briefly outlined and selected references are included. (LL)