Recent models of beginning reading processes are described, and the author offers the following summarization: (1) Models at present focus on cognitive aspects of reading; little attempt has been made to incorporate affective aspects into the models. (2) Several different theoretical positions within psychology representing a wide variety of points of view have been used, whereas transformation-generative grammar is the only theory from linguistics that is represented in recent attempts at model building. (3) There seems to be a rapprochement among theorists toward a view of reading as both a complex cognitive skill, the goal of which is obtaining information, and a complex language system. (4) Most models focus on the reading process per se. However, the opinion is evidenced that in order to understand the acquisition process, we must first study the skill as it appears in final form. (5) Most models of the acquisition phase focus on decoding and its prerequisite abilities. The mechanisms involved in making correspondence between orthography and sound cannot, however, be characterized in terms of simple associative learning. Rather, basic knowledge of language is intimately involved, as well as the utilization of complex active perceptual and cognitive strategies. (Author/AW)