As the market leader in literacy education, Literacy for the 21st Century: A Balanced Approach, continues to evolve in providing the most contemporary and practical approaches for literacy instruction. This carefully organized and thoroughly applied text is written to ensure that readers understand the current theories behind and the critical components of instruction for teaching reading and writing as complementary in the development of literacy. Readers are treated to a philosophical approach that not only balances the why, what, and how of teaching literacy but also offers practical pedagogy—teaching strategies and instructional procedures—that foster thoughtful teacher preparation and ensures alignment to the literacy goals teachers are responsible to teach. New text features model practices that support diverse populations, instruction driven by sound classroom assessment, and new literacy strategies that will help teachers transform literacy learning with digital devices. Integrating the best of what we know about teaching reading and writing, and implementing the ideas that will lead us into the future of education, the Sixth Edition of this popular introductory text provides the balance teachers need to be successful in the classroom.