Together with Addressing Difficulties in Literacy Development, this reader forms the basis of the Open University's Difficulties in Literacy Development course, and is ideal for similar courses nationally and internationally.

Part 1 1. Policy Contexts and the Debates over How to Teach Literacy Part 2: What is Literacy: A Simple or Complex Process? 2. Literacy: In Search of a Paradigm 3. Framing the Issues in Literacy Education Part 3: Are there Increasing Difficulties with Literacy? 4. Explanations of the Current International 'Literacy Crises' 5. Simply Doing Their Job? The Politics of Reading Standards and 'Real Books' 6. When Will the Phonics Police Come Knocking? 7. Literacy Assessment and the Politics of Identities 8. Learning Difficulties and the New Literacy Studies: A Socially-Critical Perspective Part 4: What Political and Historical Considerations Shape Curricula and Programmatic Responses to Literacy Difficulties? 9. A Veteran Enters the Reading Wars: My Journey 10. Reading Recovery and Pause, Prompt, Praise: Professional Visions and Current Practices 11. How Inclusive is the Literacy Hour? 12. Developmental Dyslexia: Into the Future Part 5: How Does Social Class, Culture, Ethnicity and Gender Impact upon Literacy Difficulties? Can they be Addressed? 13. Texts in Context: Mapping out the Gender Differentiation of the Reading Curriculum 14. The Literacy Acquisition of Black and Asian 'English-as-Additional-Language' (EAL) Learners: Anti-Racist Assessment and Intervention Challenges 15. Bilingualism and Literacies in Primary School: Implications for Professional Development 16. Psychosocial Factors in the Aetiology and Course of Specific Learning Disabilities Part 6: The Impact of the Political, Social and Cultural upon Individual Difficulties with Literacy and their School Curricula 17. Myths of Illiteracy: Childhood Memories of Reading in London's East End 18. New Times! Old Ways? Part 7: Ethical and Social Justice Issues 19. Justice, Literacy, and Impediments to Learning Literacy 20. Reforming Special Education: Beyond 'Inclusion'

'The editors' choices are excellent and the new chapters writtem for the volume add up to a coherent and thought-provoking book on vital issues in literacy ... In sum the book as a whole offers a powerful critique of the technicist model of literacy that dominates policy in this country ... It elaborates the principles and practices on which effective literacy learning for all can be built, and it is for this reason that I recommend it to all those interested in literacy education: teachers, teacher educators, literacy researchers, education psychologists and especially policy makers.' - Kathy Hall, British Journal of Educational Studies'strongly recommended to both students and practitioners who are curious about how literacy reflects, and is reflected in, diverse aspects of social life.' - Lyn Layton, British Journal of Special Education, Vol31, 1, 2004