For many years researchers and educators have sought to specify the prerequisites for learning to read. Physical, intellectual, and perceptual factors are often cited as the necessary precursors. Frank Smith has often argued that reading is not a matter of decoding but consists of bringing meaning to print. In this essay Smith claims that the essential antecedents of reading consist of two cognitive insights: that written language is meaningful and that written language is different from spoken language. Smith discusses the importance of each of these insights and explains how children typically learn them. He argues that current instructional practices may thwart the learning of these insights and suggests ways in which parents and teachers may help children to understand that reading makes sense.

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