Some recent research on the development of reading materials for bilingual instruction and instruction in English as a second language (ESL) concerning the appropriate language of academic texts and students' self-awareness of the learning process is reviewed, and a plan for the development of an academic reading program is outlined. The plan has three steps, all of which appear to be essential in the development of language, task, and instruction-appropriate activities. The first step is analysis of target goals and tasks students must perform in academic classes. The second is examination of the discourse needed by students to accomplish these tasks. Several conventional and unconventional methods of discourse analysis are available. The third step is the development of exercises for all types of reading tasks. These include three types of exercises: pre-reading, which confers knowledge of the content and organization of a text to assist in comprehension; mid-reading, which assists students in moving through the text by discussing how one reads; and post-reading, which includes comprehension questions and activities to promote elaboration, evaluation, and extension of the text just read. (MSE)