Dissatisfied with traditional approaches to beginning reading practices dominated by phonics, basal reading series, and workbooks, and more importantly, influenced by research and knowledge about how children learn to read, teachers/educators launched a grass-roots whole language movement in the early 1980s. However, the term "whole language" has become broadly defined and loosely used in the professional literature. Because of such diversity in definition and because of inconsistencies within educational literature relating to the concept of whole language, it is no surprise that the relative effectiveness of whole language is very inconclusive and often controversial. A review of the research on the effects of whole language on beginning reading achievement indicates that no consistent conclusion can be drawn regarding its effectiveness. Jeanne Chall proposed that an understanding of how reading develops should help teachers/educators understand the highly controversial issues of what to teach, when, and by what methods. Chall's stage model of reading development may contribute to a better understanding of how reading is acquired and how the total environment, as well as the school environment, may be optimized for pupils at the different stages. (Thirty-six references are attached.) (RS)