Recent theories of reading have provided only partial explanations of reading acquisition. A comprehensive theory should stress the interaction of the properties of the text with the acquisition of reading skills and strategies, the development of cognitive and linguistic skills, the influence of instruction, and the effects of cultural, motivational, and language variables. The present paper discusses how these interactions may occur, illustrates the complex nature of the interactions by describing three stages of acquisition, and suggests how the study of certain individual differences can help to disclose the essential characteristics of reading acquisition.
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