Covering birth through middle grades, this text includes viewing and higher-level thinking. It integrates three chapters of writing and reading, making it useful for both regular and block courses.

This text explains and demonstrates with a clear, step-by-step approach how communication and thinking competencies can be enhanced through instruction. This revision elaborates further on a language arts program built to focus on the needs of individual students. Each of the fourteen chapters is divided into three sections covering theoretical foundations, practice, and professional development, giving the text a practical, usable organization. The second and third sections apply the principles from the first section to the classroom. Features in these sections show specific teaching strategies that offer practical ideas for teachers to develop an ongoing and successful teaching repertoire.