Heather Kenyon Casey is a professor at Rider University who teaches undergraduate and graduate courses in literacy education and coordinates the graduate-level literacy concentration.

• ContentsForeword Lesley Mandel Morrow  xiAcknowledgments  xvIntroduction: Why Partner?  1Part I: The Importance of Community1.  Community Conversations  4Key Questions: Exploring Community  4Community Snapshot  4Key Takeaways: Framing Partnerships  4Connecting Communities  5Looking Inside Partnerships  8Making Partnerships Just and Equitable: Why One Size Cannot Fit All  12Community Practices: Making the Possible, Practical  13Ideas for Action  142.  Are We Asking the Right Questions?  15Key Questions: The Literacies of Today  15Community Snapshot  15Key Takeaways: Defining Literacy  16New Literacies for New Learning  17Navigating the Literacies of Today  20Just Literacies: Supporting Access, Equity, and Belonging  22Literacies Are Fluid, Not Fixed  23Putting It All Together: Theory, Practice, and Action  24Ideas for Action  263.  The Politics and Policies of Literacy Learning and Development: A Brief History  27Key Questions: What Is the Background Behind the “Either/or” Debates in the Reading Wars?  27Community Snapshot  27Key Takeaways: The Politics and Policies of Literacy Learning Past and Present  28The Politics of Literacy Instruction: Similar Conversations, Different Terms  30Literacy for All: Equity, Access, and Belonging  35Action Is Rooted in Theory  36Ideas for Action  40Part II: Community Connections in Pre-K–12 Schools4.  Literacy in Early Childhood  41Key Questions: Literacy Development in Early Childhood  41Community Snapshot  41Key Takeaways: Puzzling Together the Early Years  42Literacy Learning and Early Childhood Experiences  45Access, Equity, Belonging, and Literacy Development in the Early Years  50Making the Research Around Early Literacy Practices Practical  52Ideas for Action  535.  Literacy in Elementary Schools  54Key Questions: Literacy Development in the Elementary Grades  54Community Snapshot  54Key Takeaways: Opportunities and Obstacles of Literacy Learning in the Elementary Grades  55Research on Literacy Development in the Elementary Grades  56Looking Inside Literacy Learning in the Elementary Grades  61Access, Equity, Belonging, and Literacy Development in the Elementary Grades  65Building Bridges: Broadening the Literacy Learning Community  66Ideas for Action  686.  Literacy in Middle and High Schools  70Key Questions: Literacy Development in Middle and High Schools  70Community Snapshot  70Key Takeaways: Opportunities and Obstacles of Literacy Learning in the Secondary Grades  71Adolescent Development in Secondary Settings  74Literacy Learning in the Adolescent Years  76Access, Equity, Belonging, and Literacy Development in the Secondary Grades  80Building Bridges: Broadening the Literacy Learning Community  81Ideas for Action  84Part III: Community Commitments7.  Literacy Learning and Teacher Education: Building Communities  85Key Questions: Teacher Education  85Community Snapshot  85Key Takeaways: The Preparation of Literacy Educators  86Teacher Education: Supporting Preservice and Practicing Teachers  86Accessing Teacher Education: Equity and Belonging  90The Possibilities of Teacher Education and Community Connections  92Ideas for Action  968.  Literacy and Community: Building Partnerships  97Key Questions: Building Partnerships  97Community Snapshot  97Key Takeaways: The Intellectual Architecture of Building Literacy Bridges  97Designing Partnerships: Building Blocks for Success  98The Promises of Partnership  102Implementing the Intellectual Architecture: Framing Partnerships  103Ideas for Action  1079.  Moving Literacy Forward: Community Partnering, Action, and Advocacy  108Key Questions  108Community Snapshot  108Key Takeaways: A Look Inside Partnerships  108Cases to Consider: Looking Inside Partnerships  109Advocating for Shared Commitment: Better Together  115Moving Forward  117Ideas for Action  119Appendix: Useful Resources and Planning Materials  121A. Useful Resources  121B. Planning Materials for Community Literacy Partnerships  123References  127Index  135About the Author  141