This is the second of two issues focused on teaching beginning reading skills to adults--both native and non-native English speakers. According to the latest research in reading, one of the best strategies for improving reading skills is systematic, explicit instruction in decoding skills or phonics. Although many critics have argued that the English language is too irregular for phonics instruction to be of significant help to new readers, this argument has been refuted in an extensive review of research conducted by the National Reading Panel. It is also contrary to what ESL researchers are finding. When learners have good decoding skills, they read more fluently and comprehend more of what they read. Phonics instruction works because it teaches readers the predictable patterns of sounds and symbols produced in the English language. Learning the "code" reduces a reader's reliance on whole word recognition or sight reading, a strategy that can cause a delay in reading proficiency. The following topics are discussed in this issue: (1) decoding skills; (2) sample phonics assessment; (3) common mistakes; (4) phonics instruction; and (5) curriculum and software.