Expanding the book's critical literacy theme, this edition emphasizes a full, balanced range of knowledge and skills for teaching reading to all learners. Informed by the latest research on topics ranging from phonemic awareness and phonics to reader response and teaching for understanding, the book gives teachers the knowledge and skills to successfully guide elementary students toward critical literacy - the use of reading and writing to think clearly, solve problems, and communicate effectively. The content is rich in first-person accounts, classroom vignettes, and hands-on literacy activities. Some principal themes include: balancing skills instruction and more holistic approaches; fostering the love of reading; using reader response theory to enhance reading instruction; and successfully teaching all students to become able and eager readers.