Notes that basal series commonly used in kindergarten through grade six teach only about half of the most common English words. Offers a list of 382 common words that do not appear in the books and suggests that teachers supplement their basals with their own word learning lessons. (FL)

Analyzes six basal reading series and reveals that the number of "distant" stories--those with content that is not closely related to the reader's experience--increases with the age of the intended audience. (FL)

Analyzes some problems that can make beginning basal stories difficult for young readers to understand and offers suggestions for ways teachers can help alleviate the problems. (FL)

Concludes that about 10 percent of stories in a basal series (grades one through eight) showed a character reading something for either information or pleasure, but seldom as an important part of daily life. Argues that basals could set a better model of the value of reading. (FL)

Reveals that portrayals of handicapped individuals occur far less frequently in basal readers than they do in children's literature. (FL)

Defines horizontal reading as providing children with more reading experiences and practice at the level they have just completed rather than moving them immediately to the next level. Describes two commercially prepared programs that make horizontal reading easier to implement and more closely correlated with the lead basal instruction. (FL)

A comparison of comprehension questions in teachers' manuals for two meaning-based basal series with two decoding-based linguistic/phonic series found that individual series types maintained their philosophical integrity in their approaches to questions. (FL)

Finds that the new basals are different from the old basals, that students' rating and rankings of the old and new basals are consistent with the researchers', and that teachers varied in the ways that they used basal materials and in their views of the construction of knowledge. (SR)

Updates research findings concerning the way older adults are portrayed in several basal reading series. (FL)

Notes that little research has been undertaken into the effects of anthropomorphism on children's reading and presents questions concerning the use of this device in beginning reading materials. (FL)

Reports findings of a study that analyzed approximately 2,000 selections from basal readers to determine the nature of their content. Concludes that only 57.7% of the selections had subject matter content, none had functional ("knowing how") content, and none had ethos ("knowing to") content. (FL)

Publishers have responded to calls for more minority characters and females in basal readers, but many of the changes appear superficial. (MKM)

A study of the first grade books in two basal series, compared with typical storybooks, shows that the amount and type of picture-dependence varies, even over the year. (FL)

An investigation of sex role stereotypes appearing in primers used in Mexico found males depicted as active, intelligent, strong, and in command, and females shown as suitable only for doing housework, providing emotional support, aiding the elderly, and observing active males. (FL)

Notes that current American basal series have integrated Hispanics into their materials, with eight of nine important aspects of Hispanic ethnicity represented. Concludes that these series offer teachers fine opportunities for enrichment activities. (FL)