Memorable language that delights children, makes them laugh or gasp, or causes them to ponder and wonder is the literature that will begin the process of teaching them to read and write. Literature is meant to connect, not with reason primarily, but with readers' and listeners' imaginations and emotions, and in the case of poetry, with something even more basic, their sense of rhythm. Although children may know how to read, whether they actually read or not depends on how early experiences with print have made them feel. Good stories can begin to teach children to read and to write simply because, if they are gripping enough, they will make them want to read them for themselves and eventually to write them. Good stories for children are those in which strong and interesting characters are involved in dramatic, adventurous, or humorous action. Another way literature can teach children how to read and write is through its predictable patterns and repetitions. The predictability and repetitions confirm a child's intuitions about how language works. The best stories, poems, and informational pieces will teach children to love what words can do, and to care about words is the first step in learning to read and write. (Twenty-three references are attached.) (JK)