Intended to help educators select textbooks that represent the highest standards of quality instruction, these guidelines describe major aspects of textbooks--of language arts instruction--considered essential. Following an introduction, the eight guidelines (whose features should be central to a program's design and should pervade the entire fabric of the textbook presentation), state that language arts instruction should: (1) center learning activities on children's own language; (2) emphasize social uses of language; (3) integrate reading, writing, speaking, and listening; (4) recognize the developmental aspects of children's learning; (5) help teachers to assess student language learning; (6) help children to think; (7) respect cultural and other differences in our society; and (8) emphasize the centrality of listening, speaking, writing, and reading for learning in all subject areas. Each guideline is accompanied by a brief, clearly written explanation, a few references, and a number of examples of textbook features that are in accord with the selection criteria or that violate them. (An evaluation chart for judging language arts textbooks is attached.) (SR)