This paper describes the development of a course that would improve instruction for preservice teachers and for elementary school students through "real world" integration of reading and the related processes of listening, speaking, and writing. "Integrated Language Arts Instruction in the Elementary School" is presented as a model for field-based methods courses seeking a balance between traditional approaches and a whole language philosophy. The preservice teachers were placed in the elementary school classroom in groups, allowing them to collaborate and share observations, insights, concerns, and teaching responsibilities; university faculty met with the preservice teachers and the K-6 faculty at the elementary school. University classes covered the knowledge base relative to language and literacy acquisition, making connections between the field experiences and the knowledge base. At the end of the course, preservice teachers demonstrated greater understanding in their planning and teaching by observation, by their performance on several evaluation instruments, and in their student teaching the following semester. In the first year, the elementary school experienced significantly improved scores on the Maryland School Performance Assessment Program instrument compared to prior years. The success of the program encouraged other collaborative efforts between methods courses and elementary schools and prompted program revisions to make methods courses more interdisciplinary. (Contains 18 references.) (ND)