The Handbook of Research on Teaching Literacy through the Communicative and Visual Arts, a comprehensive overview of research on this topic, extends conceptualizations of literacy to include all of the communicative arts (reading, writing, speaking, listening, viewing) and the visual arts of drama, dance, film, art, video, and computer technology. The chapters are organized around seven themes: *Theoretical Bases for Communicative and Visual Arts Teaching; *Methods of Inquiry in Communicative and Visual Arts Teaching; *Research on Language Learners in Families, Communities, and Classrooms; *Research on Language Teachers: Conditions and Contexts; *Expanding Instructional Environments: Teaching, Learning, and Assessing the Communicative and Visual Arts; *Research Perspectives on the Curricular, Extracurricular, and Policy Perspectives; and *Voices from the Field. The communicative and visual arts encompass all media for transmitting information and ideas, ranging from traditional forms to new technologies for music, graphics, sound effects, smells, and animation. Broadening the educational uses of media, formats, and genres opens up multiple ways for learners to gain access to knowledge and skills, enabling more students to be motivated to see themselves as learners. In this volume, the editors have compiled an indispensable resource for conceptualizing literacy in much broader contexts than ever before and for planning more effective literacy programs for all students.