Effective literacy teachers share a variety of instructional traits such as the ability to kidwatch, pedagogically reflect, and make informed decisions based on ill-structured and complex data. Teacher educators face the challenge of helping preservice teachers develop such traits so as to prepare them to be successful literacy teachers. One method being used is multimedia case-based instruction (M-CBI). With the support of three grants, over a six-year period, we created a series of multimedia cases for literacy education referred to as ChALK (Children As Literacy Kases). The purpose of this empirical report is to weave together insights that emerged during multiple investigations into the use of ChALK and compare them with findings from other M-CBI studies. In other words, while each study examines microcosmic questions, we take a gestalt perspective regarding what we learned about M-CBI for preservice teachers. With studies conducted in three phases that used qualitative research methods, sequential mixed methods, and stimulated recall interviews we found similar results as well as extensions to others' work. Finally, we provide recommendations about the use of M-CBI. (Contains 3 tables.)