Ensuring early literacy success is a wise investment because literacy skills are essential to success in all school subjects--literature, social sciences, natural science, and mathematics. There is a strong research base for how children learn to read, how to prevent failure, and how to intervene when reading difficulties occur. This issue of "Research Points" discusses the aspects of a successful literacy policy and explains how reading a lot begets reading skill. A list of suggestions for policymakers on how they can promote early literacy success is presented. An 18-item bibliography is included.