It is never too early to start comprehension instruction. Most of the students in Andie Cunningham's Portland, Oregon, kindergarten class have little or no alphabet knowledge when they enter the classroom in the fall. English is a secondOCoor thirdOColanguage for many of the children in this low-income neighborhood. Through research-based principles, carefully-structured routines, and innovative activities, even the youngest learners can develop comprehension skills from their first days in school."