One of the most crucial areas of education—the acquisition of literacy—is examined here with an effective combination of theory and practice. The sociocultural perspective is illustrated through descriptions of learning by populations usually neglected in treatments of literacy—American Sign Language users, second-language speakers, and minority students. The book covers a broad range of ages, ethnic backgrounds, locations, and literacy concerns from preschool to law school. Although the populations and literacy issues are diverse, the book's unity is provided by a broadly shared theoretical framework.