Mainstreaming students means moving them out of segregated learning environments in special education classes and integrating them into regular classes with "normal" children. Mainstreaming also has relevance to gifted children. Both gifted and handicapped students are searching for meaning, for which the primary source is language. The main medium for transmitting meaning from one generation or culture to another is language through literature. Mainstreaming has many implications for the learning of language, literature, and composition. For example, every child enters a classroom with his or her own lexicon of the English language. Mainstreaming both handicapped and gifted children increases the diversity of the classroom--teachers should capitalize on the wealth of students' language. Such diversity also allows for the use of peer tutors and in mainstreamed classes, low, average, and high achievers can be praised for positive contributions to the class. In light of such diversity, random grouping is recommended to explore themes in literature. Instead of teaching language, literature, and composition as separate subjects, efforts should be made to teach for transfer from one area to another. For example, the nature of mainstreamed classrooms necessitates the structuring of composition instruction in a developmental sequence of language skills. (HTH)