Learning To Read

Dec 17, 2025 12:31 AM

Author:Margaret Meek (Diston Spencer)

Learning To Read

The child's world is full of print, and sooner of later the child will notice it. Hundreds of children have learned to read from advertisements on hardings. Many a non-reader has failed just because he did not link the way he looked at advertisements on his way to school with what he had to look at on the school noticeboard. Everything that children, eat, wear, play with or pass in the streets has a sign or a symbol.

Learning to read was first published in 1982, and quickly became a classic text for anyone interested in how or why children learn to read. Drawing on her own experience as a parent and teacher, Margaret Meek explains what happens when a child is taught to read and how parents or teachers can help when a child has reading problems.

Each chapter deals with a different stage of learning: each has examples of the kinds of questions that parents ask, together with Margaret Meek's answers. In this revised edition here is a new introduction and an unpdated book list.

Reviews

A brilliant writer of wit and subtlety

—— The Times

Hugely popular with seven to ten year olds: she should be prescribed for all cases of reading reluctance

—— Independent on Sunday

Has a rare gift for writing lightly and amusingly about emotional issues

—— The Bookseller

Jacqueline Wilson tackles another delicate subject that is close to many children's hearts

—— The Bookseller

Clean Break sometimes causes sniffles, but in places it's also humorous and is a wonderful read for children aged eight and upwards. Jacqueline Wilson has written plenty of books . . . This is her best one yet

—— Birmingham Evening Mail

Excellent story, hot characters. This one just rattles along, with beautiful dialect dialogue and family tensions. Teenage girls who pore over horoscopes and worry about boys will love this one!

—— Gatewaymonthly.com

Thought-provoking book with sensitivity, wit and warmth . . . Its admirable message comes wrapped in a fast-paced and exciting adventure story populated with well-rounded characters

—— Irish Times

'Thought-provoking ... strong second novel'

—— Bert Wright , Business Post

'A poignant, delicately composed novel that doesn't stint on the wreckage of violence.'

—— Irish Daily Mail

McKeon ... is a writer to watch. He conveys how people who cause harm can sometimes be victims, in their own way, and that takes skill. If you enjoy Colum Mcann's work, this novel is for you.'

—— Martina Devlin , Irish Independent

'... beautifully written, placed in those grey shadows between right and wrong and profound, terrible loss.'

—— Anne Cunningham , Sunday Independent

A beautifully crafted story about the legacy of trauma

—— Sarah Gilmartin , The Irish Times

A supreme storyteller

—— Robert Collins , The Sunday Times Ireland

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