The changes in British society in the patterns of behaviour, the varieties of culture and language, and the shifting emphasis on the roles of the sexes, have affected what is going on in schools and classrooms. At the same time, parents are now urged to take an active role in their children's schooling. Many are confused by the unfamiliarity of the current school scene, but are concerned about the literacy of children learning to read and write in a society which seems increasingly dominated by electronic media.

How children learn to read well and what kind of teaching helps them is a scarcely penetrated mystery. This book is a fascinating and informative research report by a group of teachers who set out to teach children who have failed to acquire a useful degree of literacy; in it they discuss their experiences. The authors are presenting evidence about a central and constant problem in education, an essential kind of evidence which is often ignored, because it is so difficult to collect and present. The report presents enough case-notes and recordings of lessons and discussions to allow readers...