The influential first volume of the Handbook of Reading Research was published in 1984. This classic work, an essential resource for researchers, students, and professionals across the field of reading and literacy education, is now available once again in on-line and print-on-demand versions.

English language came to India in 1600 along with East India Company, Krishna Swamy, N and Srinivasan (1994). By the end of Eighteenth Century, a flood of English speaking administrators, army officers, educators and missionaries scattered English throughout the sub-continent. The British introduced English in India in order to produce clerks for their administration. It was proposed by Lord Macaulay to produce "a class of people, Indian in blood and colour, but English in taste, in opinions, in morals and in intellect" Lord William Bentinck, the Governor-General accepted the 'recommendation' of Macaulay. English language was soon introduced at all stages of education and it was the medium of instruction for all subjects at schools and colleges. Sobhana, N (2003) mentioned the landmark in 1854, the President of East India Company, Sir Charles Wood emphasized the need for using English at higher education through his report-wood's Dispatch. Under the colonial administration Indians had to learn English.