Learning Chinese characters has frequently been referred to as the "greatest challenge" for learners. Xu reports results from an empirical experiment that tries to bridge the gap between reading theories and the changing realities of learning and teaching. We specifically compared the effectiveness of three encoding methods, i.e., Reading, Writing, and stroke sequence Animation, in developing learners' receptive orthographical knowledge and productive skills. It was found that learners can recognize visual symbols as Chinese characters better when they learned by Writing and Animation. On the other hand, learners could rely on their existing orthographical knowledge to make form-sound and form-meaning connections better when they had constant exposure to the character's form in the Reading condition. Finally, neither of the two other methods was as effective as Writing in developing productive skills. Pedagogical implications are discussed.