Are reading methods changing again?

This paper was first written as a talk to the Orton Dyslexia Society, in response to present redding reforms in California and elsewhere. A historical context is provided which suggests that such reforms are but a small chapter in a long-standing tension between code emphasis and meaning emphasis approaches to reading. This tension has been fueling debate for an entire century, with outcomes at any given point apparently decided as much by fashion and politics as by research and experience. More collaboration is called for between remedial specialists and "regular education" teachers, to reduce the incidence of children who require special help.