Noting that recent changes in philosophy and classroom practices in teaching reading and writing have had a major impact on language arts instruction and have caused concern among some parents and teachers, this position paper urges a balanced approach that meets the needs of the children as well as the concerns of the community. An overview of a half century of change in literacy education is provided. The "whole language" philosophy is described and the basis for concern and controversy are examined. The term "emergent literacy" is discussed as it replaces the concept of reading readiness. The stages of student development in language learning are listed, and it is noted that the process of learning literacy skills appears to be similar in many different cultures. The stages of teacher development in literacy instruction are listed and the need for support from administrators is discussed. The core knowledge teachers should have calls for: a knowledge of the sound-symbol relationship that independent reading requires; an eclectic teaching philosophy that involves selective teaching of what children need to know; and the ability to teach multiple strategies for word recognition and comprehension. (NH)