Includes bibliographical references (pages 391-453) and indexes.

I. Foundations of reading -- Ch. 1. Nature of reading: Defining reading -- Ch. 2. How reading works: The building blocks of fluency and comprehension -- Ch. 3. How reading works: Comprehension processes -- Ch. 4. Cognitive issues in reading -- Ch. 5. Models and more models of reading: Explaining reading -- II. Patterns of Variation in Reading -- Ch. 6. Reading in different languages -- Ch. 7. L1 and L2 reading relationships -- Ch. 8. Social contexts of reading -- Ch. 9. Motivation for reading -- III. Developing Reading Comprehension Abilities -- Ch. 10. Building main-idea comprehension -- Ch. 11. Becoming a strategic reader -- Ch. 12. Building awareness of discourse structure -- Ch. 13. Vocabulary and reading comprehension -- IV. Expanding Reading Comprehension Skills -- Ch. 14. Reading fluency, reading rate, and comprehension -- Ch. 15. Extensive reading -- Ch. 16. Reading curriculum and instruction -- Ch. 17. Reading assessment -- Ch. 18. Further topics and issues in reading.

"This volume, through a detailed treatment of the cognitive processes that support reading, explains how reading really works. It offers a thorough overview of important and current research, including first language research, which is not often found in second language acquisition (SLA) publications. This book is a true example of applied linguistics; it makes well-defined linkages between theory and practice, discussing the implications and applications of second language reading theories on instructional practices. It is a valuable resource and reference for action researchers, curriculum designers, teachers, administrators, and those interested in exploring theoretical issues grounded in instructional contexts." (Publisher's note)