Why Johnny can't read and what you can do about it

Published in 1955, this book is a critical examination of the American reading education system, particularly the 'look-say' method which relies on memorization of whole words.

Flesch argues that this method is ineffective and instead advocates for the teaching of phonics, where students learn to sound out words using the alphabetic code.

The book was an immediate bestseller and became a significant influence in the debate over reading education methods.