This collection of papers presented at the 13th European Conference on Reading brings together a vast range of knowledge, research, and perspectives about literacy and its complex processes. The book explores topics including: (1) Literacy and critical thinking; (2) Working with learners at all levels, from young children to adolescents to preservice teachers; (3) Multiculturalism and language learning Literature and libraries; and (4) The power of writing Assessment. The reader will gain a better understanding of the processes involved in language and literacy and learn how to apply this knowledge in practical and policy-oriented contexts at all levels. Following a foreword and a preface, this book is divided into eight sections. Section 1, Literacy and Critical Thinking, contains: (1) Teaching and Learning in a Global Society: Examining Changing Definitions of Literacy (MaryEllen Vogt and Maureen McLaughlin); (2) Inquiry as an Instrument of Understanding (Irina Nizovskaya); and (3) Dialogue and Creativity within a Command Curriculum (George Hunt). Section 2, Multiculturalism and Language Learning, consists of: (4) Teaching Finnish as a Second Language (Heini-Marja Jarvinen); (5) Reading Strategies Used by Teachers of Immigrant Children (Vuokko Kaartinen); and (6) Changing Bulgarian Language Learning in Bulgarian Secondary Schools (Tatyana Angelova). Section 3, Literature and Libraries, contains: (7) Changes in Estonian Book Publishing and Distribution during the Last Decade (Aile Moldre); (8) Motivating Slovenian Students through the Reading Badge Program (Tilka Jamnik); and (9) Book Discussions Improve Reading, Writing, Speaking, and ICT Skills in Netlibris Literature Circles (Teresia Volotinen and Kaarina Kolu). Section 4, Beginning Reading and Writing, consists of: (10) Family Literacy Programs: Fostering Early Literacy (Margie I. Mayfield); (11) Encouraging Young Children's Language Development (Maili Vesiko); (12) The Two R's: A Study of Current Early Reading and Writing Practice in Irish Primary Schools (Brian Murphy); (13) Greek Kindergarteners' Concepts About Print (Eufimia Tafa); (14) Phonemic Awareness: Teaching Segmenting and Blending (Priscilla L. Griffith and Judy A. Leavell); and (15) Strategic Reading: Helping Children Understand Text (Mary W. Spor and Barbara Kane Schneider). Section 5, Adolescent Literacy, contains: (16) Trends in the Reading Culture of 15- to 17-Year-Old Students in Hungary (Attila Nagy); (17) Seventh-Grade Students' Competence in Reading Expository Texts (Joaquim Agostinho de Oliveira Guerra); and (18) Helping Struggling Readers and Writers in Middle School (Catherine M. O'Callaghan). Section 6, Working with Teacher Educators and Preservice Teachers, contains: (19) Reading, Writing, and Knowledge Acquisition in Secondary, Post-Compulsory Secondary, and Higher Education in Spain (Mariana Miras, Marta Gracia, and Nuria Castells); (20) Reading Literary Texts in Portuguese Schools: Considering Teacher Roles and Perspectives (Angelina Rodrigues); (21) Improving Literary Understanding through Conversation (Ester Salasoo and Eija Rougle); (22) Can Case Studies Help Student Teachers to Learn How to Teach Literacy and Numeracy in Primary School? (Ulla-Britt Persson, Marie Karlsson, and Anna Pettersson); and (23) The Power of Reflective Writing for Students and Teachers (Penny L. Beed, Victoria Gentry Ridgeway, Faye Brownlie, and Sandra Kalnina). Section 7, The Power of Writing, contains: (24) Creative Writing on Computers: 6- to 10-Year-Olds Writing to Read (Arne Trageton); (25) Spelling Acquisition: A Developmental Pathway across Two Cultures (Neva Viise, Meeli Pandis, Herbert Richards, and Klaire Sinisalu); and (26) Writing as a Learning Tool: A New Conception of Writing in the Portuguese Curriculum (Jose Brandao Carvalho). Section 8, Assessment of Language and Literacy Development, contains: (27) Associations between Attributes of Self-Regulated Learning and Reading Literacy in PISA 2000 (Gerry Shiel); (28) Concepts of Difficulty: A Child's Eye View (Martin Johnson); (29) Reading and Behavioral Difficulties: Overlap and Assessment Practice (Christopher J. Rees, Peter Farrell, and Paul G. Rees); and (30) The Accuracy of Tester Listening in Oral Reading Assessment (Carol S. Christy).