The document discusses teaching beginning reading skills to students. It emphasizes that teaching reading is important because students need to be able to read to learn, and reading must be explicitly taught. It provides tips for teaching phonological awareness, including making instruction explicit, easing into complexity, and providing support. It also discusses teaching word recognition through developing awareness of letter-sound connections, sequencing, and modeling. The document encourages reading with beginning readers by giving them time, letting them reread books, encouraging attention to print, and having realistic expectations.