Book excerpt: Now in its third edition, the Handbook of Research on Teaching the English Language Arts—sponsored by the International Reading Association and the National Council of Teachers of English—offers an integrated perspective on the teaching of the English language arts and a comprehensive overview of research in the field. Prominent scholars, researchers, and professional leaders provide historical and theoretical perspectives about teaching the language arts focus on bodies of research that influence decision making within the teaching of the language arts explore the environments for language arts teaching reflect on methods and materials for instruction Reflecting important recent developments in the field, the Third Edition is restructured, updated, and includes many new contributors. More emphasis is given in this edition to the learner, multiple texts, learning, and sharing one’s knowledge. A Companion Website, new for this edition, provides PowerPoint® slides highlighting the main points of each chapter.