The document discusses different theories of the reading process:
Bottom-up theories focus on building reading skills incrementally from phonetic awareness and decoding words, with skills building upon each other until fluent reading comprehension is achieved.
Top-down theories introduce students to whole texts and literature first, using context clues to understand unfamiliar words rather than sounding out each word. This helps with comprehension and is useful for second language learners.
The interactive reading model combines bottom-up sensory processing and top-down thinking aspects, using both surface and deep structure systems to build meaning and memory for all learners.