http://www.aft.org/topics/reading/index.htm

Reading is the fundamental skill upon which all formal education depends. Research now shows that a child who doesn’t learn the reading basics early is unlikely to learn them at all. Any child who doesn’t learn to read early and well will not easily master other skills and knowledge, and is unlikely to ever flourish in school or in life.

Low reading achievement, more than any other factor, is the root cause of chronically low-performing schools, which harm students and contribute to the loss of public confidence in our school system. When many children don’t learn to read, the public schools cannot and will not be regarded as successful—and efforts to dismantle them will proceed.

This site takes you to the resources of the American Federation of Teachers, including the often-quoted article called Teaching Reading IS Rocket Science: What Expert Teachers of Reading Should Know and Be Able To Do by Dr. Louisa Moats.