Intended for teachers, administrators, consultants, parents and students who wish to review and improve elementary and secondary educational programs, this handbook provides essays discussing educational research, teaching philosophies and methods, instructional materials, and curriculum planning strategies in relation to the teaching of literature. Chapter 1 discusses the value of teaching literature for promoting aesthetic and intellectual growth, and a sense of rootedness, citizenship and ethical responsibility. Chapter 2 provides a profile of an effective literature program, covering topic and textbook selection criteria, depth of content, language use, and teaching suggestions of four grade span levels. Chapter 3 discusses the teacher's role in the program, including the teacher's responsibility to show students how to read a literary work with sensitivity and confidence, and not to provide "here's-what-it-meant" lectures. Chapter 4 identifies aids to an effective literature program, such as parental support, in-service teacher education, and school libraries and media centers. The handbook concludes with a checklist for assessing a school's literature program along the lines of the previous chapters and a nine-page list of selected references. (JG)