supper. This went on for several days, and finally after muchdiscussion with his son, and the school officials, the answer came. His son couldn't read. His frustration was so great it made him physically ill. In desperation,Sean, who had learned to read using phonics, decided to make a tape of the letter sounds, set to music, for his son to practice. Within a few weeks, his son couldread. Word spread, and soon neighbors borrowed, or copied the tapes, and their children began to read as well. And thus, "Hooked on Phonics" was born.Thousands of "Hooked on Phonics" products have been shipped, and thousands of grateful, satisfied customers sent letters of appreciation for the gift of readingthey received. A passing phenomenon, one might ask? No, just common sense, an entrepreneural spirit, and the truth about how children learn to read.The inescapable message: teach intensive, systematic, phonics!Which federal programs impact illiteracy?According to the Congressional Research Service, federal assistance for adult education and literacy programs is primarily authorized through the Adult EducationAct (AEA). The AEA serves 3.5 million people annually, with an FY92 appropriation of [$155] million. Compensatory education (Chapter 1) is specificallytargeted toward low-income families, and teaching reading is a major emphasis of this program. The FY96 funding for Chapter 1 is $6.9 billion.Several major studies that have addressed the extent of illiteracy have been funded by the federal government over the years. These include the "NationalAssessment of Educational Progress," "Follow Through," the "Adult Performance Level" (APL) study, and most recently, the Commission on Reading report,"Becoming a Nation of Readers," which provided a synthesis of reading research and the present state-of-the-art of reading instruction.The cumulative amount of money spent on illiteracy by the federal government over the past 25 years has been staggering. The follo...