Living in an age of communication, literacy is an extremely integral part of our society. We are impacted by literature during our infancy, childhood, adolescence, and adulthood. "Literacy for the New Millennium" includes information from specialists in the field who discuss the influence of popular culture, media, and technology on literacy. Together, they offer a comprehensive outline of the study and practice of literacy in the United States. The first volume, Early Literacy, covers infancy and early childhood. Topics such as oral language development, phonics, beginning writing, storytelling and drama, and instruction for second language learners and special needs children are all addressed. After a Set Preface and a Preface to Volume 1, this book is divided into three parts. Part I: Recent Issues in Early Literacy contains the following chapters: (1) Policy and Legislation in Early Literacy (Susan B. Neuman); (2) The National Reading Panel (S. Jay Samuels, Terri Fautsch-Partridge, and Caroline L. Hilk); and (3) Political, Social, Economic, Cultural, and Environmental Issues Impacting Early Literacy (Mario Castro). Part II: Best Practices in Early Literacy Instruction and Assessment contains the following chapters: (4) Assessment of Early Reading Development (Terry Salinger); (5) Oral Language (Lynne Hebert Remson); (6) The Importance of Phonological Awareness and Decoding for Early Literacy Instruction (Benita A. Blachman); (7) Fostering Early Literacy Development (Diane H. Tracey and Lesley Mandel Morrow); (8) Reading Aloud with Young Children (Lee Galda and Lauren Aimonette Liang); (9) Choosing and Using Informational Text for Instruction in the Primary Grades (Barbara A. Marinak and Linda B. Gambrell); (10) Early Literacy Instruction for Linguistically and Culturally Diverse Students (Carmen M. Martinez-Roldan and Jeanne Gilliam Fain); and (11) The Impact of Disabilities on the Acquisition of Literacy (Kathleen M. McCoy). Part III: Foundations for Early Literacy Development contains the following chapters: (12) Challenging the Readiness Myth: Parents' Involvement in Early Literacy Development (Christine Walsh); (13) Play and Early Literacy in These Times (Kathleen Roskos and James Christie); (14) Media, Popular Culture, and Literacy Learning the Twenty-First Century (Donna J. Grace); (15) Computer Technology and Digital Literacy in the Early Grades (Linda D. Labbo); and (16) Interaction, Sound, and Sense: Resources for Early Literacy Development (Ruth Alice Jurey). (Contains 12 tables and Index. Individual chapters contain references.) [For Volume 2, "Childhood Literacy," see ED498283. For Volume 3, "Adolescent Literacy," see ED498286. For Volume 4, "Adult Literacy," see ED498285.]