Just what is Whole Language? Does the term have a core meaning? As teachers, researchers, and teacher educators, the authors of this book maintain that it does and, having worked extensively with the concept of Whole Language, they recognize the need to clarify that meaning. To demonstrate that Whole Language is much more than a label, they offer here a clear and comprehensive discussion of the theoretical supports for Whole Language that comes primarily from theory about language and language acquisition; a thorough explanation of why Whole Language is not the same as the "whole world" approach to language teaching; a discussion of how Whole Language fits into a history of other progressive movements in education; and exploration of the relationship between Whole Language and the writing process; a series of compelling vignettes of life in a Whole Language classroom. Readers who want to increase their understanding of this trend in American education will learn that Whole Language is much more than a label; it is a perspective, a theory-in-practice, a powerful alternative with a history.