From August 19-23 1996 a global professional assembly on difficulties and interventions in literacy improvement happened in Amsterdam. The assembly used to be geared up through Pieter Reitsma (Paedologisch Instituut - Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam) and Ludo Verhoeven (University of Nijmegen), and funded through the Dutch nationwide technological know-how starting place. a variety of specialists within the box of literacy difficulties from 12 international locations attended the assembly whereas proposing a paper according to present peESpectives and up to date examine. a variety of the papers being offered is now built-in right into a unmarried educational reference, after being edited and up-to-date. The editors desire to thank all members to this quantity for redrafting their unique papers. the current quantity goals to combine fresh examine in box of literacy difficulties and interventions right into a unmarried educational reference. the quantity will catch the state-of-the-art within the swiftly increasing box of literacy difficulties and interventions. the objective workforce of readers of this quantity comprises researchers and graduate scholars in language and literacy improvement. additionally, the booklet is of curiosity for practitioners operating within the box of literacy difficulties. Pieter Reitsma and Ludo Verhoeven vii checklist OF members Peter Afflerbach - college of Maryland, 2304C Benjamin construction, university Park MD 20742, united states Jesus Alegria - Universite Libre de Bruxelles, LAPSE CP 191, street F. Roosevelt 50, B-1050 Bruxelles, Belgium Elisabeth Arnbak - division of basic & utilized Linguistics, Njalsgade eighty, DK-2300 Copenhagen, Denmark Janwillem Bast - Paedologisch Instituut-VU Amsterdam, Postbus 303, 1115 ZG Duivendrecht, The Netherlands.