Reading was, is, and always must come first in the early school years. Without a firm basis in reading, children are going to have a tough time in school and, later, in the world beyond the elementary school doors. Children need math and all the other wonderful things they are exposed to in school, but without some degree of success in reading, their overall odds of success in school in every subject area drops significantly. In this article, the author talks about Reading First and describes the five components of reading namely, (1) phonemic awareness; (2) phonics; (3) fluency; (4) comprehension; and (5) vocabulary development. She also presents 4 standards that should remain a priority in every library media center. This includes: (1) booktalks; (2) read-alouds; (3) finding the right book; and (4) strategy work.