Learning to read depends on children's phonological skills and letter knowledge, and measures of rapid naming skill are also correlates of reading fluency. Drawing on a longitudinal study of children at high risk of reading disorders, it is proposed that oral language is the foundation of reading yet its role has typically been underplayed in models of reading development. Data are presented highlighting both the direct and indirect impact of language skills beyond phonology on children's reading outcomes. Findings are discussed within a multifactorial framework and implications for interventions to promote reading and related educational skills are considered.