Concern about the discrepancy between the reading ability of naval personnel and the level of reading material they must deal with in a naval career prompted the study summarized in this report. Focusing on literacy standards and on meeting the standards of reading difficulty and reading ability, the report discusses short-range research and development (R&D) requirements, mid- and long-range R&D recommendations, R&D program delimitation, comprehensibility factors, adjunctives and alternatives to written text, training programs, an overview of needed research on the reading process, a basic reading program, and prospects and requirements for the future. A list of references is included. (JM)