In the 1920s and 1930s, interpretations of reading readiness held that learning to read occurred at a specific point in cognitive development. Postponement of reading instruction until a child reached this stage of maturity was widely accepted at that time, and throughout the 1940s and 1950s. The 1960s marked a transition period in terms of approaches to reading readiness instruction and although several studies contributed to the "teach more/teach sooner" climate, the maturation concept of reading readiness continued into the 1970s. Visual and auditory processes play a primary role in the acquisition of reading skills. One observable characteristic of the maturation of a child's visual perception processes is letter recognition, but letter name training by itself is not likely to affect reading skills. Research has shown that a child's ability to segment words by phonemes in kindergarten correlates with reading success, and that integration of auditory and visual processes promotes reading development. Piaget's cognitive stage theories have been studied in conjunction with reading readiness and, though current research has failed to show a direct connection between Piagetian theory and reading acquisition, the groundwork for further study has been laid. Psycholinguistic theory provides a global or "whole child" model of language development in both its oral and its written modes. A maturation of the readiness concept can be seen through the increased scope and diversity of approaches to its study. (SRT)