This collection of 37 articles presents various perspectives on the purposes, contents, and methods of teaching the language arts in the elementary school. The primary focus is on developments in the language arts during the 1960s. Many of the authors relate innovations in language arts to more traditional concerns; the editors suggest that the general theme of this collection is that the language arts are concerned less with a stricly content-centered curriculum than with emphasizing the development of people by increasing their understanding of language, literature, and communication skills. The essays are grouped into six sections: (1) a state of the arts review, identifying major current issues and proposing future directions; (2) a discussion of what should be the legitimate emphasis of language study in the curriculum; (3) current developments in spelling and handwriting; (4) creative experession in oral and written composition; (5) the teaching of reading skills as one component in a language arts program; and (6) a discussion of how literature study can serve the child. (DI)