Suggesting many ways (not just one way) to understand what children are doing with language and literacy, this book presents essays that address the need for alternative perspectives as well as anthropological, socio-psycholinguistic, and reader response perspectives in assessing children's language and literacy. After "Introducation: What Is an Alternative?" by editors, David Bloome, Kathleen Holland, and Judith Solsken, part 1, which discusses the need for alternative perspectives, includes essays: (1) "Language, Culture and the Implications of Assessment" (Karla Holloway); and (2) "Towards an Alternative View of Writing Assessment" (Loren S. Barritt). Essays in the second part, which discusses anthropological perspectives, are: (3) "The Language of Testing: An Ethnographic-Sociolinguistic Perspective in Standardized Tests" (Catherine Emihovich); (4) "You Can't Get There from Here" (David Bloome); and (5) "Assessing Students as Members of a Literate Community" (Beth Gildin Watrous and Jerri Willett). A discussion follows: "Assessment in My World" (Maryann Jennings). Essays in the third part, which discusses socio-linguistic perspectives, are: (6) "Alternative Language Assessment: Communicating Naturally with Students in Assessment Contexts" (Helen B. Slaughter); (7) Assessing the Written Language Abilities of Beginning Writers" (Jo-Anne R. Wilson Keenan); and (8) "Looking at Their Own Words: Students' Assessment of Their Own Writing" (Susan Benedict). A discussion follows: "Making Assessment a Process" (Nina Tepper and Rocio Costa). Essays in the fourth part on reader response perspectives are: (9) "Children's Response to Literature: Isn't It about Time We Said Good-Bye to Book Reports and Literal Oral Book Discussions?" (Kathleen Holland and Susan Lehr); (10) "Assessing Literary Understanding through Oral Language" (Joanne M. Golden); and (11) "Children's Group Discussions of Literature: Fertile Ground for Informal Oral Language Assessment" (Lenore Carlisle). A discussion follows: "Unleashing the Potential of Children's Responses to Literature" (Leslie Shaw, Deborah G. Jacque, and Cheryl L. Taylor). (RS)