The literature program has four purposes: discovering delight in books, linking literature to life, developing literary awareness, and developing appreciation. The major emphasis in the elementary program is discovering delight; the other purposes are in diminishing order as listed.

Literature is and can be taught in many ways. In some cases, literature is integrated with the basal reading program, often by including sustained silent reading and read-aloud time. Many schools have moved to literature-based reading programs, integrating reading and writing across the curriculum--often in thematic units.

A literature program must be reflected in its environment. Components of a successful literature program include a classroom flooded with invitingly displayed books, an attractive reading center with theme-related books, and an enthusiastic teacher. Literature should be shared with children by reading aloud, storytelling, giving booktalks, and providing time for children to read books of their choice. Time should be devoted to talking about books through conversations, discussion groups, and guided discussion. The use of divergent questions and children's questions is essential to book discussions.

In-depth experiences with books enable students to deepen their response to literature and are especially helpful for guiding interpretation.

The process of writing is frequently integrated with the literature program through reading logs, response journals, and writing workshop techniques. Writing experiences are related to many other extension activities. Literature serves as a model for writing.

Children's experiences with books can be extended through a wide variety of media. Art forms such as flat pictures, collages, murals, dioramas, and displays are all appropriate for enabling children to pursue ideas from a book. Graphic organizers are visual representations of ideas. Useful forms are circular maps, semantic maps, Venn diagrams, and comparison charts. Many values besides literary ones can be gained from these activities.

Experiences of singing, movement, matching music with books, and composing music for stories are growth opportunities.

Dramatizations take many forms. The authors give special attention to the value and learning derived from creative dramatizations and Readers' Theater. Puppetry is an especially pleasurable way for children to interpret stories and build on ideas they have learned from literature.

Planning to use literature across the curriculum increases children's appreciation of literature and provides important background knowledge. Exploring books by assembling artifacts, collections, maps, timelines, and jackdaws are helpful in encouraging children to explore the realms of knowledge. Generating a web of possible activities is a way to plan for a classroom unit on a book, author, genre, or theme.

The evaluation of children's reading must go beyond paper and pencil tests following the reading of brief passages. Teachers should take into consideration children's literacy backgrounds in planning a literature program. Teachers can assess reading ability with concept print tests, running records, and miscue analysis. Various types of records can be kept of children's work: teacher observations, work or writing folders, and assessment portfolios. Student and parent conferences are essential. Literary understandings must be evaluated over time and adjusted to a particular group of children.

Teachers, librarians, principals, and parents must share a commitment to literature. Whole-school literature programs include buddy reading, whole-school units, mini-courses, and author/illustrator visits. A trained media specialist and an active library media center are essential to any reading program.

The selection of children's books is the responsibility of the professional staff that must establish guidelines for making book choices. Censorship is an enduring problem and must be dealt with appropriately by all members of the professional staff. Volunteer readers, public libraries, and library outreach programs for pre-school and homeless children provide literature links to the community.

Sets of general guidelines for evaluating a literature program are developed in the text. The first goal of a literature program is to teach children to become lifetime readers.