Teachers involved in literacy instruction are continuously involved in decision-making about the methods of instruction and the curriculum materials to employ with their students, and how to respond to their students' efforts along the road to skilled reading. There are various cues to which they may respond, but recent research suggests that some of these cues are not as useful as was first thought. Further, many teachers consider themselves ill-equipped by their teacher-training to make considered decisions in the best interests of all the students in their care. Attention to the stages of reading development can provide a framework for teachers to enable interpretation of student reading performance and appropriate assistance to those in need.