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Summary An attempt is made to reconsider the implications of Piaget's theories for the teaching of reading. It is argued that the way the theories have typically been interpreted in relation to reading is unhelpful and does not accord with the behaviour of young readers. Alternative ways of linking Piagetian theory to the teaching of reading are proposed. It is considered that they both provide a more adequate explanation and offer the teacher more helpful directions along which to develop reading.

Summary 168 five‐year‐old infants from six different Social Priority Schools were examined for their ability to perform tasks of auditory synthesis (sound blending). Voiced consonants were used although doubts about this practice are widely expressed in the literature. The majority of children were either competent or not competent, only 29 being in a transitional state of moderate competence. In one school, although this pattern of discontinuity remained, the number of competent performers was considerably greater than in any other school. This suggested that factors within the school may affect the ease with which children acquire sound blending ability at this early age.

Summary The accuracy rate of 125 second‐ and third‐year infants randomly selected from five infants departments was assessed by means of counting errors made in reading from a current reading book. Only .23 of the sample was reading at Instructional Level according to Betts’ definition, while .57 was at Frustration Level suggesting that teachers did not consider these defined Levels appropriate. In addition, in a sixth school, the total reading population of the infants department (N = 62) was assessed in this way and only .18 was found to be reading at Instructional Level, while .66 was at Frustration Level. In this school, however, children in the junior department were reading at an above‐average level of accuracy and comprehension and showed no signs of antipathy towards reading.