Noting the increasing number of students who cannot read, this book shows parents, educators, caregivers, policymakers, and others how to promote the reading success of young children. It focuses on children from birth through the first 5 years of formal schooling, and includes practical guidelines, program descriptions, advice on resources, and strategies for use in everyday life (including practical literacy and language activities for parents and their young children) and activities and practices for classrooms. Following a brief introduction, the first chapter discusses the process of reading. This chapter outlines the characteristics of good readers, circumstances that promote reading, and the kinds of opportunities that enable children to be successful readers. The next chapter focuses on children through age four. This chapter covers the key aspects of language and literacy and activities for very young children; the role of home, day care, and preschool environments in literacy development; and language and literacy activities in preschool. The third chapter looks at children in kindergarten through third grade and provides families and communities a basis for understanding and helping as teachers work with children at this level of reading development. This chapter describes the elements of effective classroom instruction in the early grades. The last chapter addresses reading difficulties and features a variety of interventions to help struggling readers, such as tutoring, pull-out remediation programs, and dramatic school restructuring. (Contains over 100 references.) (TJQ)