The inclusion of talk, written language, and body language are critically important in primary classrooms. Although reading and writing may be regarded as cognitive activities, they are embedded in a social/cultural milieu, and the practice of mechanical decoding as a necessary precedent to real reading is not pedagogically sound. A whole class language session for 20 minutes each day can provide the teacher and students in Canada with a structure where exciting, meaningful language activities can stimulate students to move on to individual programs involving reading and writing. Early morning or early afternoon times, when kindergarten or grade one children need to be stimulated or calmed down, are best suited for whole class experiences. The session may start with the children sitting in a circle and sharing favorite rhymes, jingles, tongue twisters, and songs. Other activities include: show and tell, using a simple daily weather chart as a calendar, choral reading of new or old books, and shared writing. For grade two or three the procedure would be essentially the same except that activities would build on what has been learned at previous levels. Whole class language experiences engage students and teachers in meaningful, purposeful language interactions that are firmly grounded in the context of the child's world. (RS)