Originally presented at the second annual Whole Language Umbrella Conference, the 18 essays in this book address the three related themes of identity, responsibility, and practice. The essays in the book discuss how whole language is defined, and how its practitioners come to define themselves; how whole language teachers act upon their identities through being informed, responsive, and accountable; and how identity and responsibility work together to inform daily practice in the classroom. After "Introduction: Three Themes" (Richard J. Meyer and Alan D. Flurkey), the essays in the book are: (1) "Many Cultures, Many Voices" (Dorothy Watson); (2) "I Hear Voices" (Judith Wells Lindfors); (3) "Whole Language Assessment and Evaluation: Connecting with Parents" (Norma Mickelson); (4)"Research about Whole Language; Research for Whole Language" (Carole Edelsky); (5) "Patriotic Literacy: The Intersection of Whole Language Philosophy and the Bill of Rights" (Patrick Shannon); (6) "The Bible and Whole Language" (Adrian Peetoom); (7) "The Myths and Realities of Whole Language: An Educational Movement at Risk" (David B. Doake); (8) "Moving toward a Literature-Based Curriculum: Problems and Possibilities" (Kathy G. Short); (9) "Spelling for the Whole Language Classroom" (Ethel Buchanan); (10) "Understanding and Educating Attention-Deficit Students: A Systems-Theory, Whole Language Perspective" (Constance Weaver); (11) "Whole Language Principles for Bilingual Learners" (David Freeman and Yvonne Freeman); (12) "One among Many: A Multicultural, Multilingual Perspective" (Yetta M. Goodman); (13) "Beginning Literacy in English in a Whole Language Bilingual Program" (Sarah Hudelson and Irene Alicia Serna); (14) "Providing Time for Flowers: A Curriculum Vision for the Twenty-First Century" (Mary Kenner Glover); (15) "The Triumphs and Tribulations of a Whole Language Teacher" (Wendy Hood); (16) "Booksharing: Teachers and Parents Reading to Deaf Children" (Carolyn Ewoldt); (17) "Written Dialogue with Young Children: Making Writing Live" (Nigel Hall); and (18) "Max Beltmann: The Many Voices of Teacher Change" (Rudi Engbrecht). (RS)