Since the initial publication of this important text, the research support for balanced literacy instruction has continued to grow. This revised and updated second edition incorporates findings from reports by the National Reading Panel and the National Research Council, as well as ongoing research by the author and others. Interjecting a voice of reason into ongoing debates on the "one best way" to teach reading, Michael Pressley demonstrates how effective reading instruction combines aspects of both skills-emphasis and whole language approaches. Topics covered include the various components of both whole language and skills instruction, how the balanced approach is applied in real classrooms, and motivational issues. The second edition has been augmented with new material on phonemic awareness, comprehension problems, decoding and comprehension, vocabulary instruction, development of word knowledge, and "flooding" the classroom with motivation. It also features a new discussion of the place of Reading Recovery within balanced instruction, including an in-depth case study. Ideal for teacher educators and graduate students, reading specialists, staff developers, in-service professionals, and policymakers, the book also serves as a text in reading methods and materials courses.