Intended to offer an introduction to some major themes in literacy education, this book aims to inform discussions while assisting teachers to reflect on their work as literacy teachers. The book covers work with students in the full range of schooling and in a number of different subject areas. The book's topics include the nature and use of texts; the reading positions constructed in texts and their ideological implications; the ways in which written texts change as students age; literacy learning from the early years to secondary education; and the implications of information technology for literacy teaching. The book contains seven chapters: (1) "Framing the Issues in Literacy Education" (Frances Christie and Ray Misson); (2) "Children Entering Literate Worlds: Perspectives from the Study of Textual Practices" (Geoff Williams); (3) "Learning the Literacies of Primary and Secondary Schooling" (Frances Christie); (4) "Exploring the Requirements of Critical School Literacy: A View from Two Classrooms" (Mary Macken-Horarik); (5) "Telling Tales Out of School" (Ray Misson); (6) "Old Letteracy or New Literacy: Reading and Writing the Wor(l)d Online" (Wendy Morgan); and (7) "New Times! Old Ways?" (Colin Lankshear and Michele Knobel). (Contains an index.) (CR)