Most methods of literary analysis operate at so high a level of abstraction that the basic meaning is obscured. In the classroom the temptation is to ignore the physical text and to focus attention and discussion on secondary issues which arise out of the text. A distinction needs to be made between reading literature and interpreting or analyzing it. Exercises should be developed to help students perceive, comprehend, and then interpret the text. Reading a passage aloud, the use of context cues, and cloze procedure are some of the techniques that can be used to help students perceive the meaning of a text. The more cues available, the easier the reading is. Teachers need to reinforce the role of the reader as an active participant in the creation of meaning and to emphasize that what the reader brings to the transaction with the text is as important as what the text itself brings. (HOD)