The Literacy Primer is devoted to the most recent topics in literacy studies, such as the meanings of literacy, the invention of alphabetic writing, a history of reading, the consequences of literacy, teaching the two modes of knowing – literary and informational – and literacy for diverse learners. Each chapter includes a glossary of key terms for students new to the field. A list of selected resources and further readings is provided at the end of the volume. The book is written in a refreshingly straightforward style that is inviting to undergraduate students who might otherwise have difficulty learning about the subject.

The Authors: Brett Elizabeth Blake is Associate Chair of the Department of Early Childhood, Childhood, and Adolescent Education at St. John’s University, where she is also a Vincentian Fellow for social justice and poverty. She holds an M.A. in linguistics from Northwestern University and a Ph.D. from the University of Illinois, Chicago, in Curriculum and Instruction. Her latest book is A Culture of Refusal (Peter Lang, 2004). Robert W. Blake is Professor Emeritus of Education and Human Development, English Education, at the State University of New York College at Brockport. He earned his M.A. in American Literature from Boston University and his Ed.D. in Curriculum and Instruction from the University of Rochester. He has published middle school textbooks, monographs, and books of general interest, the most recent being Literacy and Learning: A Reference Handbook and Literature as a Way of Knowing: Critical Thinking and Moral Reasoning.