Knowing how to provide effective literacy instruction is important for all educators, but it is critically important for urban educators. This article is built on the assumption that deepening urban educators' understanding of the reading process will better equip them to facilitate students' reading development, and to diagnose and intervene if reading difficulties are discovered. Based on that belief, a discussion of a highly regarded reading model, the Parallel Distributed Processing Model (PDPM), is presented. Classroom implications of the reading model are also discussed. Overall, it is hoped that understanding the reading process through the lens of PDPM will help urban educators promote reading success for all students.