There is no doubt that our education system is more complex than ever. There is a lot to consider when looking at the balance between theories, proven methods, and the reasons we choose to invest so much time in educating our children. In this article I will cover these theories, methods and the importance of education. There are many theories about education and what lies in our biological functions that can influence how we learn as humans. Our book, Creation Literacy Instruction For All Students, by Thomas Gunning delves into these approaches and theories. Behaviorism is a theory that “emphasizes observable responses to stimuli.” This approach includes conditioning positive behaviors and eliminating unwanted behaviors (Gunning, 4). Another important theory on learning is cognitivism, which is “based on the proposition that mental processes exist and can be studied (Gunning, 4). Under this theory of cognitivism lies Piaget's theory that every child develops through constructivism, building their own understanding of the world and the realities within it. Similarly, Vygotsky highlights the importance of social constructivism in how social encounters can change cognitive development (Gunning, 5). The cognitive behavioral approach is about helping students realize their potential by showing them what they need to do to succeed. This is important to help students move beyond their notions of failure that they may have acquired from previous academic problems (Gunning, 6). Under this cognitive behavioral approach are both top-down and bottom-top strategies. Finally, reader response theory challenges the child to construct meaning from the written text. To engage and understand, ... half of the document ...... and in reading proficiency, according to the Educational Testing Service.3” These theories, methods, assessments along with evidence of success in reading at home make it clear that it is extremely important that we do our best to support every child's literacy. All students can learn. It's all about making the materials interesting and relevant to them, challenging them (but not too much) and supporting them along the way. Works Cited: “Facts About Children’s Literacy.” National Education Association. National Education Association, n.d. Web. May 23, 2014.Gunning, Thomas G. “Chapters 1 and 2.” Creating literacy instruction for all students: International edition. Boston, Massachusetts: Pearson, 2013. Page No. Print.Sathy, Kumar. “Empowering parents to help kids read like rock stars.” Education Digest 78.9 (2013): 50-52. EBSCO MegaFILE. Network. May 24 2014.