A brief summary of sorts

The era of conditioned learning (1950 - 1965)
This is when people first began to identify reading "problems." The primary approach was very straightforward and somewhat barbaric in a sense. The text mentions an example where a student is taught that C-A-T spells cat while encouraging little to no cognitive involvement. Students learned through rote memorization of visual cues that were translated into sounds and later assembled into words/phrases. If the student struggled it was because he or she wasn't able to acquire the necessary skills.

The era of natural learning (1966 - 1975)
People began to think that reading was perhaps a skill better taught and retained through discreet instruction and practice. There was an underlying idea that humans were innately born with the capacity for language regardless of their environment; reading was an inherent ability rather than the product of a particular skills. Researchers placed a bigger emphasis on how readers would come to different conclusions. Some were particularly interested in how to decode that process because they wished to translate that mechanism onto machines.

The era of information processing (1976 - 1985)
Federal funding began to increase. Researchers were interested in the relationship between our system of symbols and the mind. This was also when schema theory began to gain momentum. There was a shift in focus towards the individual as opposed to the bigger group. It was later determined that students' knowledge could be modified through direct intervention, training, or explicit instruction.

The era of sociocultural learning (1986 - 1995)
Literacy research shifted towards a holistic and aesthetic stance. There was an underlying tone of distrust towards formal knowledge and the traditional mode of scientific inquiry. Learning was about creating a mutual understanding amongst a group of individuals in a specific place and time; it was meant to be a sociocultural, collaborative experience. Instructional procedures were also modified so that they focused on the social interchanges in the classroom.

The era of engaged learning (1996 - present)
Learning factors were studied in relation to a student's knowledge, strategic abilities, sociocultural background, and the features of the learning context. Reading is no longer limited to print; it now encompasses audio and visual material as well. This range of materials should also be reflected in their immediate learning environments. Engaged learning pertains directly to the students' meaningful and goal-directed participation. It reinforces the idea that learners are more than passive receptacles absorbing information.

Some other important information:
Membership within the reading community is flexible and it alters the basic identity of a particular community and its stance towards research and practice. Prevailing trends within the research literature reflect the influences of sociopolitical forces outside the community. The history of reading research shows a shifting emphasis on physiological, psychological, and sociological factors. These factors are always present but each era will weigh them differently. Lastly, the field is becoming progressively more sophisticated and inclusive.