A number of studies exploring how beginning readers acquire knowledge that enables them to spell words fairly accurately and to recognize words correctly and quickly as they are reading are described in this report. (The reported studies were designed to test hypotheses derived from a theory of printed word learning proposed by L. C. Ehri.) In the first chapter, various factors thought to be important in learning to read are described along with supporting evidence, and Ehri's theory of word identity amalgamation is summarized and contrasted to alternative views. The next eight chapters discuss the specific studies (with the results and conclusions drawn from the studies) on the following topics: the mnemonic value of orthography among beginning readers, the nature of orthographic images, the influence of orthography on readers' conceptualization of sound segments in words, the effects of image training on printed word learning in children and in beginning readers, whether beginning readers learn printed words better in sentences or in isolation, whether they learn printed words better in contexts or in isolation, and whether word training increases or decreases interference in a Stroop task. The final chapter presents a summary of the studies. (FL)