Teachers are faced with the problem of needing to do a better job of teaching the basics and the astrobasics (those skills needed to understand and respond to the complex bureaucratic demands of the space age, especially reading and filling in such forms as those required for class registration, student loans, and income tax preparation). At least three levels of teaching are needed to foster the basics (and astrobasics) of reading: prereading skills, early reading skills, and reading-study skills. (Appended is the Basics and AstroBasics test.) (TJ)