Children enter primary grades at the height of their language learning momentum, and this momentum should be preserved throughout the primary grades. In the last decade there has been a move toward the knocking down of physical walls within the school (nongrading, team teaching, and individualized instruction), but first the psychological walls within the curriculum should be knocked down. This curriculum change may be accomplished by (1) extending elements of the informal kindergarten to the years beyond so that a proper balance is struck between learning on one's own and learning in groups; (2) integrating language arts programs to include writing, reading, content reading, and oral skills; (3) teaching grammar incidentally in connection with the others; (4) using a basal program selectively and applying new technology; and (5) using books written by the children. Encouraging children to select what is to be published or discarded will help to develop criteria of excellence and improve their insight and taste as well as writing. Thus the major components of a language arts program are the children, the teacher, and books. (AW)