The research in the literature dealing with metalinguistic awareness, phonological abilities and memory functions determinig reading development were examined in this article. These cognitive processes determine differently reading that is a complicated process. The research stated in this article suggested that metalinguistic awareness was crucial for successful reading performance and agreed that phonological awareness one of the metalinguistic abilities was the most powerful predictor of reading. The research examining short-term memory and working memory with reading development obtained some evidence that working memory was more influential on reading than short-term memory. On the other hand, some researchers searching on reading development stated that unique and the most powerful cognitive factor predicting reading development could not be found because reading was multidirectional and multifactorial.