Reading for meaning; time to revisit top‐down strategies?

The teaching of reading is one of the consistent topics for discussion in eduvation. It exercises the minds of teachers, parents and politicians alike. This is especially so because levels of literacy are regarded as one of the most important indicators of educational well‐being and progress, such is its position of status in such international comparison tools as Pisa. This aricle explores some of the historical and contemporary dilemmas, highlighting the challenges that teachers face in defining effective reading programmes for students who are underachieving.