All learners need to develop reading skills in the language of learning and teaching (LoLT) that can help them construct meaning from texts. Reading skills can make them read independently, for pleasure, and/or for information. When learners are able to read to learn, reading becomes a tool for learning new things and exploring new worlds that take one beyond the confines of one’s own world. In a multilingual context, learning to read and reading with understanding can be quite challenging, especially when learning languages with different orthographies, some of which are regular and others highly irregular. It is crucial that multilingual or bilingual learners from a low socioeconomic background in a print-poor environment receive high-quality instruction in reading to develop the good reading skills required to learn from their reading materials. This chapter describes the linguistic background of Namibian learners and the challenges of reading to learn faced by learners in multilingual contexts, particularly in the Namibian context. Thereafter, the relationship between reading ability and academic performance is examined to underscore the importance of strong reading skills in the LoLT. The chapter also discusses some contextual factors that may affect reading development in multilingual/bilingual contexts in developing countries. Based on research evidence, the chapter further describes some critical aspects that teachers of English as a second language should know to provide effective reading instruction.