Providing an international perspective on how children learn to read, this first of 2 volumes presents research studies and classroom experiences from the United Kingdom, the United States, Canada, Australia, Jamaica, and Israel, drawing on evidence from 18 countries. Essays in the volumes highlight implications for design, implementation, and evaluation of classroom reading programs. These two volumes address the 3 major concerns of those involved in how children become literate and by what means such achievements may be appraised. They are: developing understanding of the nature of children's early reading development; considering ways in which children's reading can be encouraged; and the assessment of reading standards. Following an introduction ("International Concerns and Controversies" by P. Pumfrey and P. Owen), essays in the first volume are: (1) "The Emergence of Word Reading in Beginning Reading" (L. Ehri); (2) "Some Effects of Phonics Teaching on Early Reading Development" (R. Johnston and others); (3) "Making Sense of Writing" (P. Papoulia-Tzelepi); (4) Some Effects of Context on Reading" (R. Stainthorp); (5) "Phonemic Awareness and Balanced Reading Instruction" (A. Adamik-Jaszo); (6) "Children Learn To Read by Being Taught" (M. Turner); (7) "New Moves in Early-Literacy Learning in Europe" (H. Dombey); (8) "What Do Children Know about Reading before They Go to School?" (P. Munn); (9) "Teacher Decision-Making in Early-Literacy Teaching" (R. Fisher); (10) "The Importance of the Teacher" (R. Campbell); (11)"Stance, Meaning and Voluntary Reading" (M. Hunter-Carsch); and (12) "A Conceptual Basis for a Literacy Curriculum" (M. Reed and others). (RS)