Based directly on the findings from the National Research Council's report "Preventing Reading Difficulties in Young Children," this guide offers a "checklist" that will help teachers and principals recognize at a glance the key characteristics of quality reading programs identified in the research. The guide does not describe any single way to teach a child to read. It is divided into six parts: Understanding Reading Instruction; Reading Readiness; Beginning Readers; Intermediate Readers; Children with Special Needs; and Grade-by-Grade Accomplishments. The first 5 sections are not broken down by grade level. In the early grades, all children learn to read at different speeds and how to deal with different challenges. The "accomplishments" listed in the last section are based on grade levels to give teachers and parents a sense of what they can reasonably expect children to do as they become more skillful readers. (RS)