Nine prevalent ideas about reading in the content areas are analyzed in this paper. The ideas are as follows: (1) students can not read textbooks because elementary teachers did not teach them to read; (2) students can not read textbooks because of poor phonics and word recognition skills; (3) "real learning" results from reading, rather than from aural/oral or firsthand experiences; (4) since textbooks contain essential information, they should be read orally to students who can not read them; (5) good readers read texts rapidly, comprehending and remembering all the material presented; (6) students' comprehension skills can be improved by completing reading comprehension exercises; (7) to read textbook chapters and answer subsequent questions is an effective learning method; (8) the use of such aids as guiding questions and study guides alleviates most content reading problems; and (9) student interest in a unit of study is desirable but not essential for successful learning. It is concluded that many of the ideas are erroneous, while others represent commonsense practices that could be used if they were altered in light of the dynamic interplay between thought and language. (GW)