Now in its second edition, this book provides a comprehensive overview of research into reading, and how this can be applied in practice, in both L1 and L2 settings. This new edition has been thoroughly updated, making it essential reading for anyone who wants to grasp how reading works.

Preface; Part I. Foundations of Reading: 1. The nature of reading: Defining reading; 2. How reading works: Building blocks of fluency and comprehension; 3. How reading works: comprehension processes; 4. Cognitive issues in reading; 5. Neurocognitive processes and reading ability; 6. Explaining reading comprehension: Models of reading; Part II. Patterns of Variation in Reading: 7. Reading in different languages; 8. L1 and L2 reading relationships; 9. Social contexts of reading; 10. Motivation for reading; Part III. Developing Reading Comprehension Abilities: 11. Vocabulary and reading comprehension; 12. Building main idea comprehension: syntax and strategies; 13. Becoming a strategic reader; 14. Building awareness of discourse structure; Part IV. Expanding Reading Comprehension Skills: 15. Reading to learn and reading/writing relationships; 16. Reading in digital contexts; 17. Reading fluency, reading rate, and comprehension; 18. Extensive reading ; Part V. Applications of Reading Research: Instruction and Assessment; 19. Reading curriculum and instruction; 20. Reading assessment; References; Indexes.