The child approaching reading for the first time comes well-equipped with developmental tools to lighten the task. Linguistically speaking, in addition to some decoding skills, the child has a full-blown syntactic system consisting of the basic syntactic forms, though some of the more intricate forms will not be mastered until much later. Vocabulary is extensive and concepts are well developed. Furthermore, the child has developed a large network of schemata through varied experiences and has learned to make inferences. It is also possible that the young child has some acquaintance with and understanding of nonliteral uses of language such as metaphor. It is incumbent on teachers to keep in mind the close relationship of language and thought and to constantly ensure that one does not overtake the other. Consequently teachers should (1) integrate reading with other activities and projects, (2) be familiar with the students' level of understanding of a given topic so he or she may suggest ways to enrich children's conceptual and associative networks, (3) be willing to clarify and expand on children's statements, (4) use the language experience approach to effect a smooth transition from speech to print, (5) be alert to the possibilities for promoting the syntactic sophistication of students, and (6) keep a balanced perspective against the normative forces of the school in favor of the recognition of individual differences. (HOD)