Suggesting that teachers must develop a philosophy of language arts instruction to guide their teaching, this book provides teachers in language arts or combined language arts and reading courses with the knowledge base and practical ideas they need to plan and implement a literature-based language arts program in which children are actively involved in thinking and communicating. The book describes an approach that integrates the language arts--speaking, listening, reading, and writing--into the total curriculum and in which literature is central. Among the changes and additions for the sixth edition of the book is "Access Pages," a planning resource handbook that presents lists of award-winning books, unit plans, lesson plans, mini-lessons, and information on the Internet and e-mail. Chapters in the book are (1) Teaching for Communication: An Integrated, Literature-Based Approach to the Language Arts; (2) Diversity in the Multicultural, Inclusive Classroom: Meeting the Social and Language Needs of All Children; (3) Language and Children's Early Language Development: Social Interaction--The Key; (4) Literature for Life: Journeying into and with Books; (5) Listening for Meaning: Learning to Listen and Listening to Learn; (6) Oral Expression: The Classroom as a "Talking-Place"; (7) Talking, Reading, and Writing Together: From Experiencing to Critical Thinking; (8) Reading with Meaning: Connecting Reading with Writing and the Other Language Arts; (9) Writing as Idea Making: Connecting Writing with Reading and the Other Language Arts; (10) Writing Processes: The Child Writer as Author; (11) Language Patterns, Usage, and Grammar: Managing Language; and (12) Spelling, Dictionary Use, and Handwriting: Tools of the Editor's Craft. A coda, "Languaging with a 'Porpoise'," and the "Access Pages" are attached. (Contains approximately 200 references.) (RS)