A study explored the nature of whole language as compared to the basal program for the years 1990-1991 and 1991-1992. The samples of pupils involved were from the eight elementary schools, housing grades kindergarten through grade five, in East Brunswick, New Jersey. The students have been instructed for many years in the basal approach. Since…

Although the vocabulary, content, and format of the English and Spanish versions of the California Test of Basic Skills were largely equivalent, content analysis revealed three possible sources of test bias: (1) problems inherent in translation; (2) the match between tests and instructional materials; and (3) intervening cultural variables. (SB)

Two approaches to spelling instruction were compared by measuring which program was more successful. Thirty-two fourth-grade students participated; instructional intervention spanned 6 months. The control group used the materials and procedures of the Macmillian Basal Series. The experimental group used the Spelltex Individualized Spelling Kit.…

A study examined two first-grade classrooms implementing the whole language approach and two utilizing the basal reading approach to determine the differences, if any, between the treatments. The hypothesis was that the whole language reading approach when combined with a phonics program would not result in higher test scores on a standardized…