Nearly 40% of all fourth graders in this country cannot read at grade level, and this number rises to 60% for children from poor families. This gap in learning increases as students go through grade school and is a primary reason for failure. Ironically, this problem comes at a time when there is research to demonstrate that nearly all children can learn to read if taught using research-based instruction. Here, the authors describe the principles of this research in language that noneducators can understand and educators can use. They discuss how to recognize whether research on reading is being used appropriately, and if not, how to make that happen. Through the eyes of parents and educators who have succeeded in their own struggles to change the educational system, the book provides the reader with the tools and knowledge for transforming the way reading is taught in their children's classrooms.