This popular text, now in its fourth edition, "unpacks" the various dimensions of literacy-linguistic and other sign systems; cognitive; sociocultural; and developmental-and at the same time accounts for the interrelationships among them. Distinguished by its examination of literacy from a multidimensional and interdisciplinary perspective, it provides a strong conceptual foundation upon which literacy curriculum and instruction in school settings can be grounded.

Linking theory and research to practice in an understandable, user-friendly manner, the text provides in-depth coverage of the dimensions of literacy, includes demonstrations and "hands-on" activities, examines authentic reading and writing events that reflect key concepts, and summarizes the concepts in tables and figures.

Changes in the Fourth Edition. Addresses academic language, new literacies/multiliteracies, and their relationship to literacy learning
. More fully develops the developmental dimension of literacy in separate chapters on adult mediation and learner construction
. Expands the discussion of multimodal literacies
. Extends and integrates the discussion of bilingualism and biliteracy throughout the text
. Integrates instructional implications more fully throughout

Stephen B. Kucer is Professor of Language and Literacy Education in the Department of Teaching and Learning in the College of Education at Washington State University, Vancouver, USA.

CONTENTS

Preface
Acknowledgments
Fourth Edition Introduction

PART 1
INTRODUCTION
CHAPTER 1 - A Multidimensional View of Reading and Writing

PART 2
THE LINGUISTIC AND OTHER SIGN SYSTEMS DIMENSION OF LITERACY
CHAPTER 2 - The Nature of Language and Other Sign Systems
CHAPTER 3 - Oral and Written Language Relationships
CHAPTER 4 - Language Variation

PART 3
THE COGNITIVE DIMENSION OF LITERACY
CHAPTER 5 - The Constructive Nature of Perception
CHAPTER 6 - The Reading Process
CHAPTER 7 - Understanding Written Discourse
CHAPTER 8 - The Writing Process

PART 4
THE SOCIOCULTURAL DIMENSION OF LITERACY
CHAPTER 9 - Understanding Literacy as Social Practices
CHAPTER 10 - The Authority of Written Discourse

PART 5
THE DEVELOPMENTAL DIMENSION OF LITERACY
CHAPTER 11 - Constructing the Written Language System
CHAPTER 12 - Mediating the Written Language System

References