Greg Brooks, Ros Fisher, Maureen Lewis

'This book is a stimulating and important text that is perhaps most suited to academics and policy-makers that to teachers. However, for me its greatest significance lies in the fact that although some chapters attempt to answer questions and define standards in the field of literacy education, they actually only serve to demonstrate what others acknowledge - the complexity of even defining literacy in the modern age, let alone improving it.' - Peter Anstee, Cambridge Journal of Education

• Section 1: Research into the Teaching of Literacy 1. What does Research Tell Us About How to Develop Comprehension? 2. What Does Research Tell Us About How We Should be Developing Writing? 3. As the Research Predicted? Examining the Success of the National Literacy Strategy 4. What do Effective Teachers of Literacy Know, Believe and Do? 5. Developing Literacy: Towards a New Understanding of Family Involvement 6. Words in Basal Readers: An Historical Perspective from the United States; Discussion: Research into the Teaching of Literacy Section 2: What Counts as Evidence? 7. The Irrelevancy and Danger of the 'Simple View' of Reading to Meaningful Standards 8. Understanding National Standards in Reading 9. Validity in Literacy Tests 10. Trying to Count the Evidence; Discussion: What Counts as Evidence Section 3: Developing Teacher Practice 11. Textbooks and Model Programmes: Reading Reform in the United States 12. Teacher Education Programmes and Children's Reading Achievement 13. The Implementation of the English National Literacy Strategy in England 1998 - 2001 14. Examining Teaching in the Literacy Hour: Case Studies from English Classrooms 15. The Literacy Block in Primary School Classrooms: Victoria, Australia 16. Globalisation, Literacy, Curriculum Practice; Discussion: Developing Teacher Practice

Greg Brooks, Ros Fisher, Maureen Lewis

'This book is a stimulating and important text that is perhaps most suited to academics and policy-makers that to teachers. However, for me its greatest significance lies in the fact that although some chapters attempt to answer questions and define standards in the field of literacy education, they actually only serve to demonstrate what others acknowledge - the complexity of even defining literacy in the modern age, let alone improving it.' - Peter Anstee, Cambridge Journal of Education

• Section 1: Research into the Teaching of Literacy 1. What does Research Tell Us About How to Develop Comprehension? 2. What Does Research Tell Us About How We Should be Developing Writing? 3. As the Research Predicted? Examining the Success of the National Literacy Strategy 4. What do Effective Teachers of Literacy Know, Believe and Do? 5. Developing Literacy: Towards a New Understanding of Family Involvement 6. Words in Basal Readers: An Historical Perspective from the United States; Discussion: Research into the Teaching of Literacy Section 2: What Counts as Evidence? 7. The Irrelevancy and Danger of the 'Simple View' of Reading to Meaningful Standards 8. Understanding National Standards in Reading 9. Validity in Literacy Tests 10. Trying to Count the Evidence; Discussion: What Counts as Evidence Section 3: Developing Teacher Practice 11. Textbooks and Model Programmes: Reading Reform in the United States 12. Teacher Education Programmes and Children's Reading Achievement 13. The Implementation of the English National Literacy Strategy in England 1998 - 2001 14. Examining Teaching in the Literacy Hour: Case Studies from English Classrooms 15. The Literacy Block in Primary School Classrooms: Victoria, Australia 16. Globalisation, Literacy, Curriculum Practice; Discussion: Developing Teacher Practice