First published in 1934 and updated in 1965 and 1986, Nila Banton Smith's "American Reading Instruction" has provided insight and historical perspective to reading instruction in the United States beginning with the colonial era. This "Special Edition" addresses such areas as theories and practical applications; established and emerging leaders in the reading field; fads and trends; linguistics and technology; cultural, social, and economic issues; and supporting research and professional literature of those periods. The Special Edition contains several new features, including a prologue by Richard D. Robinson and an epilogue by Norman A. Stahl; an expanded history of reading from 1967 to 2002 by P. David Pearson; an annotated bibliography on reading history published since 1986 (Richard D. Robinson and Jennifer Wilson); and a short biography of Nila Banton Smith. It is intended as a resource for use both in preservice teacher preparation and graduate-level courses. Chapters in the book are: (1) The Beginnings of Reading Instruction; (2) The Period of Religious Emphasis in Reading Instruction; (3) The Nationalistic-Moralistic Emphasis in Reading Instruction; (4) The Period of Emphasis upon Education for Intelligent Citizenship; (5) The Period of Emphasis upon Reading as a Cultural Asset; (6) The Period of Emphasis upon Scientific Investigation in Reading; (7) The Period of Intensive Research and Application; (8) The Period of International Conflict; and (9) The Period of Expanding Knowledge and Technological Revolution. (NKA)