A survey of the literature concerning the mental processes used in reading reveals a proliferation of molecular theories which explain only a small (and frequently neurological) component of the reading act. Enough information exists, however, to sketch an integrated, molar model of the reading process, which stresses the interrelationships between conscious and subconscious channels of thought. Efficient reading is an interaction between long-term and short-term memory and the affective domain. Cognitive competencies (analyzing, synthesizing, inferring, evaluating, etc.), although not innate, originate in a subconscious channel: the goal of the reading teacher should be to teach both graphemic and cognitive skills, to the extent that they become unpremeditated responses. A molecular model derived from this molar model suggests that the sequence of language factors (phonology, morphology, syntax, grammar, and semantics) is reversed in the reading process. (KS)