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Part IV
Knowledge into Action
Both knowledge about reading and a commitment to improvement are required in order to develop and implement policies and practices that will help prevent reading difficulties among young children. In Part IV we describe the contemporary situation and propose our recommendations for change.
In Chapter 9, we discuss the impact that this report must have on the professionals who have daily interactions with the children in day care centers, preschools, kindergarten, and the early elementary grades and on children's families and other community members. Governmental bodies (including federal, state, and local education agencies), publishers, and the mass media also have an impact on the issues.
The best approach to teaching children to read has for decades been a matter of considerable controversy and passionate confrontation. At this point, the science base has developed sufficiently to permit this synthesis of the research on early reading development with the goal of making recommendations about preventing difficulties in reading. In Chapter 10, we weave the insights of many research traditions into clear guidelines for helping children become successful readers.
